Hunger Games: Next Generation
by imaginationsdaydreamsandwords
Summary: Katniss Everdeen overpowered the Capitol. But that was ages ago. Now, Panem is under a new reign. Once again, the Hunger Games exists, to kill 'forbidden children'. Lanie Quinn is a forbidden child in hiding, pretending to not exist. All she wants is to rid Panem of the tyrant that does this to her and her friends. But first, she has to survive the Hunger Games. And will she?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

The wooden clock on the mantelpiece chimed softly. Noting the time, I slipped out of bed, unwilling to relinquish the cocoon of warmth, and slipped on my clothes in the scarce moonlight. My uncle snored softly in the corner, swathed in her thin blanket. I kissed him softly on the cheek. Crouching, I reached under the bed, letting my fingers touch the dusty floorboards blindly, searching for my leather bag. My fingers grasped the strap and I shouldered the pack. I unhooked my parka, a rare luxury in this part of the land, the name of which is Panem.

Opening the door, the cold night wind seeped into my bones. I put my parka on, savouring the warmth. I shut the door as softly as I could, not wanting to disturb my uncle's peaceful sleep. When he wakes, all he worries about is me. But right now, his dreams are his focus.

_My_ focus isn't to sneak out in the dead of night or meet with my lover. It isn't to slip into the shadows and become a thief, either. I am a student. A school student. Now, you ask, what kind of school student goes to school in the middle of the night?

I am part of the forbidden generation.

You may remember that Katniss Everdeen was the Mockingjay, and struck against the Capitol, leading an army to give out freedom and relieve the people of the wretched Hunger Games. That was generations ago. Reign was peaceful for a few years, until that godforsaken tyrant took over. We didn't have a choice. Even though he didn't take over by force and weapons, the suspicious way that all his opponents fell by mysterious circumstances gave us enough information that if we didn't kneel and obey, woe befall us.

So of course we had to obey.

The dictator enforced a rule, when overpopulation threatened to dominate, that a family can only have one child, and every family must do so. This is because there are still too many hungry mouths to feed, too many complaints or pleads for more. We aren't replacing each of us enough, therefore, the population with gradually lessen.

The 'Forbidden Child' rule was enforced strictly. Any family with more than one child was punished, and the 'forbidden' children were taken away and never seen again. Peacekeepers were paid well to check on families. Back then, when each family had about three 'forbidden children', they were taken away, but the dictator finally got sick of executing kids in his front yard. Maybe it put him off his food. But it's ridiculous, seeming that even with a smaller population than years ago, we still have plenty of people curling up and dying of starvation.

But anyway, the tyrant is a keen historian. So of course, he knew about the Katniss-Everdeen-triumphed-over-the-Capitol thing. He also knew about the Hunger Games. So instead of seeing kids being shot to death in front of his face, he could now eat in enjoyment, watching the kids kill each other on live television. All this did was infuriate the families more because some kids in there were brothers and sisters to each other, forced to hack each other to death for gruesome enjoyment. The winner of that first round of the Hunger Games had to kill her brother, who told her to do so. The first thing she did when she got out of the arena was shoot herself, unable to take the shame.

So now, the idea of sending kids to the Hunger Games is enough to repulse the parents into only having one kid. But there are some stories about things being lenient in the other districts, the ones closer to the Capitol. Some families can have two kids. But in here, District Twelve, there can be no such thing. Because, according to the Capitol, we aren't educated enough and can't afford to have more than one kid. But everyone knows the Capitol uses that as an excuse for the real reason. They're afraid of the outer districts. We could breed like rats and have enough people to overpower the Capitol. But the rule prevents us from doing so. That's probably the only thing stopping us from marching over to the tyrant's chamber and slitting his throat ourselves.

I have two younger siblings. Twins. We all look like each other. Except for the clothes we wear. My clothes are shabby. Their clothes are colourful and crisp. My mother and father get by well enough. In fact, their house is big, with enough room and no cold wind manages to seep in at night. Unlike my aunt's hut, with the draught slipping through the gaps and holes.

I don't exist.

I have an older brother, Thomas. We're very close. He now works in the coal mine to support his wife, Sarah. She can't have a baby, and apparently there's medication that could help her get pregnant from the Capitol. But it's very expensive. Even as district twelve's nurse, she doesn't get paid enough. And my brother's job. Every day I pray that the coal mine doesn't become his grave. Too many people rely on him to live. People like me. Like Dad. Like his wife. And almost-son.

My parents hid me from Peacekeepers. But I became too old to hide in the closet where I slept. My parents planned to give me to another couple with no kids.

Then my mother got pregnant. Of course, this was forbidden. Her child would have to be aborted. She refused. So did my father. Eventually, the Peacekeepers were dragged into the argument and in the scuffle somehow, my father was injured. My parents were left alone, because the others thought that she only had one child: the one she was pregnant with.

Knowing I was no longer safe in that district, my parents split up, my father pretended to be a widower and went back to the district he was born and raised in, raising me there as well. My brother, as soon as he was old enough, came as well, to help me care for my father as he became ill and bedridden. I became known as the daughter with no mother. The girl with the bedridden father. I grew up and was one day told that my mother were actually rich, with a house and I had two younger siblings, one boy, one girl. I live in district twelve, were almost everyone is poor.

My other family lives in the Capitol.

I don't like my mother. I hardly talk about her. According to my father, I had gotten my distinctive reddish hair from her. The roots of my hair are dark brown like my father's by it starts to get more auburn to the tips. Only in the sunlight, though. District twelve is too dark for colour to show. I have my father's olive skin- the colour of the seam. My eyes are also my mother's- green.

In district twelve, I am not the only forbidden child. There are many others like me, lurking around in the shadows, fleeing when the head Peacekeeper, a cold-hearted person with the name of Manley, does his rounds. The others pity us. Maybe it's because we supply half of their food, wandering on the other side of the 'electrified' fence until we stumble upon a rich area of trees bearing fruits. When they search for us, there is no other place to go. Occasionally, a forbidden child would make a run for it, but they would be found on TV a couple of weeks later, as a silent Avox waiting behind one of the Capitol's rich bastards waiting for a command. Maybe all you could find of them are dried smithereens of blood and skin. If the cold doesn't kill them first.

It's always a pain seeing someone you know ending up like that.

On my way to the square, I darted behind houses, leap over fences, climb trees, scale the roofs and stick to thick patches of grass. I'm not supposed to exist, and I try hard not to. Random footsteps found by the head Peacekeeper will be immediately investigated. It will include another round of searching for forbidden kids. The others won't appreciate it, seeming that we spent a couple of days in the woods hiding from the head Peacekeeper only a week ago.

I headed over to supposedly electric fence and find the hole cleverly hidden by a couple of berry bushes. I kept walking until I reach a fork in the track. I know which way to go. I've gone the same way for three years. The path is dotted with dead leaves, illuminated by moonlight. It's familiar surroundings. Still, I looked for the correct hollow log and found my weapons, still wrapped in waterproof material. I strapped the dagger and sheath to my waist, tied the sword and its sheath to the strap on my bag and strung the bow, placing the arrows in the bag.

Weapons are illegal. But they are what is keeping me from starvation. Lose weapons, lose hope. I bring food home using them. The sword and dagger are my father's. The dagger is about ten inches long, wickedly sharp. The handle is wire-wrapped and has the picture of a dragon engraved near it. The tip is curved slightly, giving it a more sinister edge. The sword is about three-quarters of the length of my leg. The black-coloured wood handle fits perfectly in my hand. Both are weapons made of glimmering silver. If sold, they could bring me about half a year's worth of grain. But if I keep them, I can guarantee at least three squirrels every day.

The bow is simple wood. The arrows are silver-tipped. A present from my father to my brother on his twelfth birthday. But because he's too busy working at the mines, he gave them to me. For two months, he spent every Sunday (the day he isn't working) teaching me how to shoot. I was only ten years old then. But now, at fifteen, I could shoot three squirrels through the neck with one arrow without trying.

I don't bother with snares, when I can nail several animals with my dagger and arrows without even breaking a sweat.

I heard a faint rustling and my arrow is aimed in the bushes in a quarter of a second. A curious creature, grey with floppy ears hopped out of the plant, staring quizzically at my arrow. I recognised it. It recognised me, too. The girl who kills her kin for food. Before it could spring back into the shadows, my arrow pins it in the eye mid-hop.

Yippee. Breakfast.

I wrapped the rabbit and placed it in my bag. The good thing about being poor: you appreciate what's put in front of you.

I looked around, just in case someone was following me. Seeing and hearing nothing, I took a couple of steps forward but thought better of it. Manley's last _lenient_ punishment was whipping a twelve-year-old boy ten times for stealing a small bite-sized piece of bread from the bakery bins. He'd been tough on dishing out punishments lately.

Slinging my bow over my shoulder, I seized a branch of a nearby tree and scamper up like a monkey. I was good at getting fruits from the top of trees. Others, with their weight, would break the branches and their necks. I was thin and nimble. A light tread and lithe movement is needed to be a good hunter.

I made my way to the meeting area by leaping from branches. I didn't even shake a leaf.

Meetings are unpredictable, but there are always a couple every week. There is no pattern, so people watching would struggle to catch us out. Every meeting, someone is chosen to be the caller. The caller has the responsibility of setting out a time and place for the lessons. Also, when we meet up at the meeting place, the caller is the first to emerge from his or her hiding place. That way, if someone followed a member to the meeting place, the caller would be just a lone person. Not everyone would be caught out. It's a big sacrifice. Tonight, I was the caller.

The meeting place was a clearing just like others in the woods. A fifteen minute walk from it was a gigantic rock jutting out of the ground. It took about ten minutes to scale up to the cave at the top where we had our lessons.

The mentor was a woman, also a forbidden child herself called Teah. She was middle-aged, and she had a child of her own, a nine-year-old called Allie. Teah was usually a hushed story of inspiration in district twelve, seeming that it is rare to find a forbidden child reach adulthood. Allie joined us on our adventures occasionally, other times she just stayed home.

I reached the clearing. I stay perched on my branch, not making a sound. After a while, I leant back against the trunk and strung my bow again. I took a couple of deep breaths. Making a split second decision, I leapt from the tree and landed on the ground standing, my arrow pointed into the darkest parts of the forest.

I held my breath. This was the crucial part.

Then my friends emerged from the trees, grinning and likewise decorated with weapons, but their grip was relaxed. Mine did too at the sight of them.

They were all there. Except for Allie, as Teah appeared first without her in sight. Vena, a whizz at throwing knives and daggers. Peyton, my best friend and fellow hunter. Zavier, the guy who never shut up. Tammin, the girl I hated and couldn't possibly count as a friend. Hilton, the weak-link in the group, no surprise that he's never chosen to be caller. Gill, a big brute who looked like his whole life was about pulverising people to death: he certainly looked like it. But everyone in the group knew he was a softie. If he were a tribute in the Hunger Games, he'd be a real contender. I'd back him up with my own money, if I had enough. Julia, the youngest of us, side by side with her older brother, Nyal. Kinley came in last, his finger tracing a pattern on the handle of his sheathed dagger.

Peyton skipped over and took her place by my side. She grinned at me.

Vena's lips twitched at the sight of me and went over to Tammin. Vena wasn't one to smile. Rumour was that she used to, but the coal mine put a stop to it. Her father's body was never found.

Tammin scowled and rested a hand on the knife at her belt. My fingers curled tighter around my bow.

Zavier was talking, as always, yammering to Gill, who was probably the only one of us who had the patience to listen. Hilton hovered next to him, drinking in every word, his pale skin even paler in the silver light of the moon.

Julia waved at me. She was probably the only one who didn't have a weapon. She was only ten. Her brown curls were always in pigtails, but since her first day, we've never let her hairstyle fool us. She's district twelve's sweetheart. She never has to worry about not being fed. Too many people adore her. She stayed next to her brother and tugged on his hand, pointing in my direction.

I looked away. Nyal was sixteen, a year older than me, with brown hair darker than his sister Julia's. He also had an older brother who worked at the mines. He had another younger sister, about only three months old. He had a smile that made me melt.

I tried not to think about him too much.

There was the sound of a sword being unsheathed. Teah stepped forward, face grim, sword reflecting moonlight. She had everyone's attention at once.

Gradually the clearing became quiet.

"What's wrong, Teah?" Zavier asked. It always seemed to be his job to break silences like these.

Teah, swift and lethal, swung her sword around so fast that it was only a silver blur. When my eyes focused, the sword was jammed into the ground and a branch the thickness of my arm had been lopped off the nearest tree.

"Nothing," she said. "Let's learn, my non-existing students." She stalked off into the woods.

Everyone looked at each other warily and followed her in. Teah had never lost her temper before. This was a new situation.

The lesson was, in normal forbidden child speak, boring. She taught us to climb to the top-most branch of several high trees. I excelled at this. She taught us to recognise edible plants in the forest, even though she'd already taught us this a week ago. Peyton and I discussed what could be bothering her.

"It's probably personal," I said, giving up, after realising that our theories were ridiculous.

"Duh," Peyton whispered, only half-listening to Teah's bland description of blueberries.

The two hour lesson was one of the most boring lessons we'd had, seeming that Teah's heart was obviously not in it.

I watched Nyal pick off a couple of blueberries from a bush and pass them to Julia. A small pang of longing struck me as I remembered my brother doing the same years ago when I was only ten. We had ventured out into the woods as a desperate attempt for food. Our hunger was almost overwhelming. I had sucked in my breath and pushed aside all memories of stories of mauled people who had gone into the forest beyond the fence. We'd found berries, greens and my brother had managed to catch a squirrel. When we went home, it turned out to be the most fulfilling meal we'd had in weeks.

Over the months I had become to trust the woods more than the people in the district. I spent more time there, especially after my father would have a seizure of a sort, I'd use the forests as my escape. Once, while hunting with my brother's bow (I had been getting pretty good with it) I chanced upon Teah and her group of forbidden children. It had only consisted of Peyton, Gill (still huge), and yes- Nyal, back then. It had been while Teah was training them to hunt. I had shot down a deer. I had been surprised when a couple of daggers sprang through the trees at me in response. Only my experience of darting away from people had me running out of there alive. Since then, I had joined the group.

Nyal's brown eyes flickered over to meet mine. I turned away. Still feeling his gaze, I struck up a conversation with Gill, which was easy with Zavier around. The conversation was up and running, only needing a couple of nods and one-syllable words to keep it going.

Teah told us that we had the Hunter Games next week before dismissing us. The Hunter Games is a kind of parody for the Hunger Games, except we benefit more. We kill animals instead, taking home and eating our shots. Though I wouldn't complain for having a reason to stick a dagger into Tammin.

I reminded her that I wouldn't be here for the next two weeks. I would be in the Capitol. The place where I face possible death while in the comfort of my family. Awesome.

Peyton and I said goodbye to the others and delved deeper into the woods to hunt.

"So…" Peyton began, in a tone of voice that told me that she was about to start a conversation about a topic that I wouldn't like to talk about. I strung my bow, having just shot down two squirrels.

I didn't say anything, letting my concentration focus on finding animals for today's meal. It was almost dawn.

"…what are you going to do about- you know?"

Sometimes it was hard to understand Peyton when she talked this way. Her tone of voice, though, was what alerted me.

"No, I don't," I said, playing dumb.

"Nyal," she said simply.

"What about him?" An arrow whizzed into a nearby tree and another squirrel fell out, an arrow embedded in one of its eyes. I placed it in a burlap sack along with the other potential meals.

"What are you going to do?"

"About what?" Because Peyton hardly talked in full sentences, I was good at avoiding answers. We could go all day and she'd still have trouble stringing together a full question that I couldn't play dumb to.

Peyton sighed. "Don't do that to me, Lanie."

"Do what?" Two rabbits are speared through the eye with one arrow. I put them in the sack as well. Satisfied that my father and I would sleep with full stomachs tonight, I decided to make our way down to our favourite spot, where dozens of bushes were always filled with berries, and greens were always fresh.

"Don't change the subject," Peyton said, following me.

"What subject?"

"The subject about Nyal."

"What about it?" See what I meant? About being able to take all day just for one topic of conversation?

"Wait," Peyton said. The sing-song tone of her voice had stopped.

"What?" I turned around. We weren't far from the clearing.

"Look," she said, pointing to the ground at her feet.

I stepped forward and squinted at the mud.

"Careful," Peyton warned.

I cleared away the trampled dried leaves with a light brush of my hand. Kneeling, I recognised the shape of the prints in the still wet mud. Deer tracks. And it looked like three of them.

"Deer?"

"Yeah, it looks like," she agreed.

"The mud's still wet," I noted.

"Which means-"

"-they only passed about a couple of minutes ago," I finished, eyes wide. Deer? It could keep me and my father going for about two weeks with one deer, seeming that the tracks were deep, showing that the treader was heavy. Selling it could get supplies that could last about a month at most. This was a forbidden-child-from-district-twelve style of jackpot.

"Let's go," I said, tearing away from the path to the clearing, on the lookout out for more deer tracks.

**Did you like it? Please, I would love to know what you think, so please review. It would help me to improve the story and see if it's worth finishing. Thanks for reading it. Peace! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

I decided to scale the trees and travel that way. Peyton, with her light tread, could stay on the ground. It took about half an hour to locate them. There were three. One buck, two does. All plump and big. I could shoot one and throw my dagger at another. Peyton could take down the last.

I nodded to her. Seeing me through the leaves, she nodded back. I pulled back the string and took aim, right at the buck's eye. Heart racing, I released the string. Twang.

The buck crumpled to the ground and the two doe took flight, sprinting away. Peyton leapt forward from her hiding spot and shoved her knife into the smallest of the doe. My dagger whistled to its target but missed, catching the last doe by its flank. It limped away into the darkness, taking my father's weapon with it.

"Hey!" I protested. I jumped down to the ground set chase to the injured deer, stringing my bow.

It hadn't been able to go far. With a good view, I took aim at its head. Then a figure sprang from the darkness and tackled it to the ground.

The woods are dangerous. Everyone knew that. Even with the five years that I've grown to trust the place, I knew that I still didn't know what dangers roamed around. Instead of fleeing and warning Peyton, I took aim instead at the figure, thrashing on the ground with the animal.

I waited for an opening. As the deer finally gave itself up to death, I took a deep breath and readied myself to let go of the arrow, aimed at the figure's head.

"Wait!" The silhouette called suddenly, holding up a hand.

A humanoid creature. I'd heard stories about muttations, an invention of a Capitol, and that enough kept me holding onto my bow. The person stood up and stepped into the light.

I recognised his heart-melting smile.

"That's my deer," I said, arrow still aimed for Nyal's throat.

"Hey,_ I_ killed it," he reasoned, brushing off his shirt.

"So? I tracked it. I injured it. If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have killed it."

"I tracked it too. Besides, if I hadn't had killed it, it wouldn't have been killed."

Stumped. I tightened my grip around the bow. "That doesn't make sense."

Nyal shrugged and swung the doe around onto his shoulders. "You already have a doe to yourself, anyway."

"How do you know?" The tip of my arrow followed his movement through the space.

"Are you seriously still considering to kill another forbidden child? That's hypocritical," he said, ignoring my question.

I lowered my bow and turned back to where Peyton and the other deer were.

"Lanie," he called.

"What?" I asked, without turning.

"Your dagger."

I turned around. Sure enough, he held out my father's silver dagger.

I stomped toward him, snatched the dagger out of his hand and continued on my way to Peyton.

"If you're that grumpy, you can have the doe," he said to my back. "I mean, yeah, I have five people in my family to feed, but you can have it to feed- you know, yourself and your father."

"No thanks. It's yours. Go home." Dawn was almost about to break. I needed to head home myself, or my father would start to worry. I still had to pick some greens as well.

"Nah, I think I'll come with you. Just in case you decide to shoot another one of us."

I ignored him and found Peyton. She had lopped off the buck's antlers to sell. He looked less grand without them. Peyton looked up at the sound of Nyal's voice. She raised a not-so-subtle eyebrow at me. I shot her a look that obviously said, _shut up_.

"Hi, Nyal," she said, the sing-song tone back in her voice.

"Here, let me have that," I said, taking the sack from her, making sure my nails scratched against her skin 'accidentally' in the process.

"Ow!" she exclaimed, rubbing her hand.

I grinned at her.

"What are we going to do with the deer?" Nyal asked.

"_We_ are going to sell some stuff at the Hob. _You_ are going to go home with your doe, unless you don't want it to feed the '_five people_' in your family."

"I think I'll come with you. The people at the Hob aren't too nice. You don't know what they do to girls like you."

"Girls like us can shove our dagger blades into their skull," I corrected, hand gripping the hilt of my dagger. "Want a demo?"

"No thanks," Nyal muttered. "But I'm still going to the Hob with you."

"You can go by yourself. We're going to take a detour." I loaded the doe onto my shoulders. Only years of labour kept me from stumbling from its weight.

Peyton and I started off towards the berry clearing.

"Wait," Nyal said. "Can I come, too?"

"N-" I started to say, but I caught Peyton's eye. Her expressions clearly said, _Let him come_.

Mine went along like, _No! Are you kidding me?_

Peyton: _Why don't you want him to come?_

Me: _Just because…_

Peyton smiled a bit. _Let him come or I'll annoy you to death._

Me: _You already do._

Peyton: _Shut up. Don't be mean._

Me: _I'm not even saying anything!_

Peyton:_ Let him come._

Me:_ Fine!_ Out loud, I said, "Come with us, but when we fence, we separate."

"But the Hob-"

"When. We. Reach. The. Fence." I made the repeated sentence deliberately slow and emphasised.

I heard Peyton's exasperated sigh as I walked off with my doe. The Hob was a secret trading place for meat, like a sort of black market. Apparently, there used to be a Hob as well in Katniss Everdeen's time, but now it's more subtle, because of Manley's thorough routine checks. We delivered at back doors, dealt in whispers. The only thing that didn't exist as well as the forbidden children was the Hob.

The clearing was heaven, absolutely loaded with fruits. Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and other edible berries with no names. Greens grew here too. Dandelions were as common as blades of grass. Trees bore apples, oranges and other fruits. No. I wasn't going to go home hungry. It was in the perfect spot, too. A lake was only a short walk away, always cleansed by the stream that run through it.

This was our wild farm. My brother had found it and revealed the location to me so I could go here. When I began to trust Peyton, I divulged this natural secret to her, too. In fact, there were so much fruits that we didn't bother protecting the plants from birds and other creatures. They could have their pick and we'd still go home with bunches of our 'crops'.

Today, the clearing was a whirlwind of colour. Red, blue, black, yellow, green, every colour attacked my eyes in a beautiful iridescent pleasant hurricane. Peyton and I stripped bushes of berries, climbed trees and picked off ripe fruits, plucked dandelions from the grass. I let Nyal do what he wanted.

Peyton and I had torn apart several burlap sacks and stitched together smaller ones. There were twelve mini sacks for each of us; Nyal had brought his own. When the bags were full, I headed over to my favourite tree. The tree bore no fruit, but it was the tallest. It provided good shelter with its dense leaves. My brother and I had also constructed a small tree house almost at the top. If I wanted, I could live here. No one would know.

Finding the lowest branch, I swung myself up and continued to climb, arriving at the base of the tree house. It wasn't much of a house. It had no walls, but had a ceiling of woven vine. My brother was a whizz at weaving. I was okay at it, but I could never achieve such a interwoven blanket like he could. In fact, he had woven this particular ceiling so tightly, it was waterproof. It had no doors. Burlap sacks stitched together made a curtain that surrounded the irregularly shaped floor. I pulled back the sacks and tied them into bunches to let the breaking dawn shine through.

There was a jar and a waterproof bag always full of candles: an improvised lamp. A small mat for a temporary bed. A simple wooden chest that held a blanket, matches, spare burlap sacks, spare knives, daggers, another bow and more arrows. This place was my other home.

My escape from reality.

I continued climbing higher. There was another floor, but only big enough to fit me lying down without falling off if I rolled twice. At nights, sometimes I'd stare through the canopy and watch the stars. If it was cold, I'd sit in the sun at noon. Today, I watched the sun rise.

The beautiful colours suffused the sky and the first rays of the sun peeked through the clouds. It streaked across the horizon. Sometimes, I wonder, if there were other places, other lands, beyond Panem. Places across the ocean. If there were, was there such a thing such as the Hunger Games?

"Lanie?" Peyton called from below. "Do you still want to go to the Hob?"

"Yeah," I called back down. I leapt off the small floor onto a thick branch. I had practiced this route many times. Sometimes I'd sprain my ankle from landing, but now, I was experienced from jumping from heights like these. Once, I managed to make it to the ground in only three bounds. Ever since, I'd been trying to reach the ground with only two. But with Nyal possibly watching, I decided not to be reckless and make a fool of myself.

I made it to the ground with a safe three jumps.

"I hate it when you do that," Peyton muttered.

I shrugged.

"Okay," Peyton said, mentally counting our stock. "A burlap sack full of greens, a couple of squirrels and rabbits and three deer. I think we've hit the jackpot today."

I can't help but grin at our magnificent haul. "I think trading some of this would give us about a month and a half's supply."

"We're rich," Peyton agreed.

The whole trip back, I ignored Nyal. Half of it was because I was already half-dead from carrying a bag of greens, my weapons and a doe. The other half was because I was already doing well enough not worrying about him.

The fence was missing the sound of humming electricity when we reached it. I pushed the things to the other side and crawled through the gap in the mesh without a goodbye to Nyal. Peyton was nice enough to say, "See you."

She started on me the moment Nyal was gone. "Why are you so mean to him?"

"Because that's the way I am, Peyton. If I act all warm and open up to him, I risk hurting myself. I can't afford that, especially when I have one immobile father to look after."

With that in mind, we're both quiet on the way to Hig's house. Hig is the butcher. He's a fair person, and hardly anyone messes with the price that he gives for meat. I think that it's mainly because he's always holding a knife in his hand.

Sure enough, when we knock on the back door, he shows up holding his machete. His eyes take in the doe.

"How much?" I asked.

"A hundred and a dozen for both."

"How about for one?"

"Depends," he said. He motioned to the doe I was carrying. "For that one, it's sixty-five. For the other, it's fifty-five."

I gave him the two does. One to sell, one to skin, gut, clean and halve for Peyton and I. I also handed over two squirrels and two rabbits, leaving four and three left.

I split the ninety-five in half for Peyton. I also gave one of the squirrels and another rabbit.

"You keep it," I said, shouting down her protests. "Your family's bigger."

Eventually she agreed. We went around and continued our trades, until we had enough greens for a day, paraffin, candles, matches, a couple loaves of bread and tea leaves. I even splurged and bought a thick blanket. By the end of it, I had about thirty left.

I left the things at my house, checking up on my father. "How are you, Dad?"

"Fine," he grunted, attempting to sit up and wincing.

"Dad," I said, helping him. "Don't get up."

"I hate seeing you do all the work for me. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?"

"No," I said, thinking. "When the parents get old, the kids start helping."

"Am I that old?" Dad sniffed.

I sighed. The loaf of bread was still warm so I cut off two slices and fed them to him. The bread was from the bakery, and the baker was a member of the secret Hob community. The loaf was full of raisins and nuts.

My father placed the remainder of his bread onto his bowl.

"Dad, finish it all," I said. "You'll starve."

"We'll need to have some left for tomorrow."

"Guess what I caught today morning?"

His eyes brightened. "What?"

"A doe. Actually, two, but Peyton brought the other one down. I traded the other for money, and mine is being gutted at the moment. You don't need to worry, Dad, I've got lamp fuel and everything. Look," I said, holding up a thick blanket that I'd bought. "It's for you so you don't have to be cold." I placed it on top of the bed.

He smiled. His eyes became watery.

"Aw, Dad, don't cry."

"I'm not. But I might not get well again-"

"Yes, you will. Don't give me that speech, okay?" I began to store the things I had bought into the cupboards.

"But if I die, I want you to go to the Capitol and live with your mother."

I dropped a wooden bowl. "What? Why? You're not going to die, Dad, you're not."

My father shook his head. Sighing, I walked over to him and hugged him. "I'm not letting you go, Dad. Never."

He took something from his shirt pocket and pressed it into my hand. It was an intricate silver key.

My throat thickened. "Dad…"

"Take it."

"No." I put it back into his hand and closed his fingers around it. "Bye, Dad." I kissed him on the forehead and tucked him in. I wolfed down a quick breakfast of bread and left to pick up the doe.

There was a lot of meat, but it was less heavy with hardly any bones.

I went over to my brother's house after dropping half of the deer at Peyton's. He was at the coal mines, but his wife was home.

I liked her. She was a nice person. Her father was killed in District Eleven for being framed as a thief. Her name was Sarah. If she could have a kid, she'd make an awesome mother.

"Hello, Lanie. How's your father?"

"He's fine. Can I have the usual jar?"

Sarah nodded. She opened a cupboard door and took out a jar filled with medicinal herbs. "Half price only."

"Sarah, don't do that. You already let the poor go by free. If this keeps going, you might go out of business."

"Just take it, Lanie."

"I'll tell Thomas."

Sarah stubbornly shook her head.

Sighing, I placed a package of the deer onto the table. I also placed two squirrels and one rabbit, half of the remaining money. "These are yours."

Her eyes widened at the pile. "I can't take these, Lanie."

"Yes, you can." I took the jar and turned for the door before she can return them. "Say hi to my brother for me, will you?"

She managed to grab my arm before the door slammed shut. "Lanie, take this," she shoved the deer and money into my arms.

"Why?"

"You already gave me some in the morning," she said.

Confused, I rechecked today's events in my head. "No, I'm sure I didn't."

"Well, a boy came by at the back door and gave me some deer. Said it was from you and that you were still out hunting."

"Where is it?" I asked.

She pointed to a package on the kitchen counter. Looked like two back legs.

"Nyal," I said simply.

"What?" she asked.

I shook my head. "Nothing. See you around, Sarah."

I walked out the door and quietly shut it.

"Lanie!"

I looked around.

"Lanie!"

It was Peyton. "What is it?" I asked.

Panting, she doubled over. She said something I didn't understand.

"Peyton! Calm down, breathe. Say it in a full sentence. What's wrong?"

She straightened up. Her brow was creased and this tiny detail stuck in mind as she spoke. "Lanie, it's your father."

For a second, I am immobile, then my surprise comes out as the sound of a laugh. "Peyton, are you kidding?" I am still grinning, wondering about the deep line in her forehead.

"I'm so sorry, Lanie," she said, starting to sob. I felt the smile being wiped off my face. "H-he's dead."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Struck dumb. For two weeks, I was quieter than an Avox. Stiller than a statue. In more pain than being burnt alive. The days passed in a blur, so fast it was like I was asleep. Only vague details reached me in the nightmares called reality.

The funeral, where most of district twelve attended. Scattering soil onto my father's body. Having to listen to the people saying sorry. Apologizing. Pitying me. I had ended the dark celebration of my father's life screaming at them, saying I didn't want it. I didn't want their sympathy. "Your apologies won't bring him back!"

In the house, taking one last look. My brother coming over to talk to me and pressing a small silver key into my hand. I had recognised it. My father always wore it around his neck. Pure silver with a diamond inlaid in it. It could have fed us for three weeks. When I was little, I asked why it was so important. He had said that it was the key to success. I didn't get it, especially because my stomach was empty and craving dinner- I had wondered why he hadn't used it then. My brother helped me tie the cord around my neck.

Packing my few items and heading for the Capitol. Saying goodbye was the hardest. Saying goodbye to Teah. To Julia. To Peyton. And Thomas. All it reminded me of was the fact that goodbyes didn't do anything to ease the pain. Of leaving. Of dying. Of losing.

Boarding the train and watching the grey environment of district disappear. A letter written by Thomas about my father's death weighing heavily in my shirt pocket. A strong memory of being hugged by Peyton, sitting in the train and seeing Nyal's face through the window. Remembering him chasing the train as it left, his words unheard through the walls of the soundproof train.

Arriving and watching my mother shed tears onto the letter. "It can't be… it can't be." I especially remembered my words echoing through the sorrowful house, through the silent space. "Why should you care? You've never been there for us! For my father!" Saying so many times that I wasn't her daughter, denying all proof that she made me.

Otherwise, the days in the Capitol were duller than the smoke coming from the coal mine. I hardly ate. I hardly drank. My bronze hair lost its brilliance. My olive skin became pale. My bones showed more. Everything was obvious about the agony I felt of my father's departure.

Crying myself to sleep was routine. Tears and chest-racking sobs replaced soft lullabies that used to lull me to sleep at night in my youth. The darkness of the nights seemed longer, with no sleep. The light of the days seemed grey. When I managed to sleep to the sound of my sobs, only nightmares awaited me.

It was endless torture.

"Wake up, Lanie."

I groaned into my pillow.

"Lanie, you have to wake up! Something's happened!"

At this, I force my heavy eyes open. The two twins' faces, Conner and Cassie swim before my eyes. "Mummy wants you up. Or else the Peacekeepers will get you," Cassie said.

Conner nodded in agreement. They both were wearing strange colourful Capitol clothes that assailed my eyesight. Cassie was in a red and yellow dress with bright blue ribbons on the sleeves. Conner was in bright green pants and a fluoro pink shirt. Ugh, Capitol taste.

"This is your clothes," Conner said, holding out another colourful mess of a shirt. Or was it a dress?

I probably wouldn't have moved, the mention of the Peacekeepers roused me. Maybe it was another ruse my mother had planned to get me out of the bedroom?

Slipping out of bed and onto the lush rug made of tiger pelt, I undressed and pulled the revolting coloured dress on, hoping I got my arms in the right holes. I checked in the gilded mirror, just in case.

I grimaced at the sight of me.

I looked like a Capitol citizen. I looked like I belonged to the vibrant walls of my spacious house, to the pelt-covered furniture, rich food.

The dress was tight around my chest, and the straps hung loosely at the side of my shoulders, probably its design. The hem was asymmetrical. The colours- ugh! Vibrant pink and red.

"Good. You're awake," my mother said brusquely, appearing at the door. "Wear these." She placed a pair of some-things on the floor and left.

Studying them closely, at first I thought that they were weapons. Then I remembered from a fuzzy memory that some fiendish-looking women wear these on their feet. Supposed to be shoes. I gritted my teeth in distaste. They wouldn't take my weight. Then I remembered that I was probably half the weight of the doe that I had hunted on the morning my father died. I winced at the memory.

Heels. The heels themselves were thinner than my pinker bone. They were vibrant pink and suited the dress. They didn't suit me, though.

"I want you out here in three seconds, Leynilin!" my mother yelled from downstairs, using the fully name she had christened me with at birth.

I shoved my feet into the shoes, hissing at the protesting that my bones made. I wobbled precariously. Thankfully, when I took the first two steps, I didn't fall. The straps of the shoes dug uncomfortably into my heels, causes extra discomfort.

I took the shoes off, not wanting to break my neck on the way down the stairs and put them back on at the bottom. "What's with the dress?" I asked my mother.

"The Capitol has demanded a meeting."

"I didn't know you had a place with the Capitol leaders."

"I don't. Everyone has to go."

"Why?" I sounded like I was whining.

My mother looked me dead in the eye. "They've found tributed for this year's Hunger Games. Forbidden children."

The sound of a lot of people talking attacked my eardrums. I gritted my teeth. Feedback from the microphone added to the din. I squeezed the hands of my siblings. I probably would have stayed at the back of the crowd, not wanting to be interested about something as wretched as the Hunger Games. But forbidden children- could it be? A part of me thought that the chance was impossible. The odds- rare. We knew how to run from the Peacekeepers, how to survive at the woods for days at a time. Surely they wouldn't be found.

But the other part of me thought different.

I oppressed it. No. I needed hope. The very thing that deserted me when my father did. Fear was the last thing I needed. The Capitol ruled by fear.

My mother stood beside Cassie, likewise holding her hand. A humungous TV screen high above the crowd was easily seen by everyone below, so the twins could see just fine. A bald man with a thinly trimmed mono-brow was on the stage. The evil tyrant. I wished I was in throwing distance of my shoe. I wished I had the bow back in my hands. An arrow to pierce that stomach of his that was always full, while the people forced to kneel in his reign starved to death.

Oh, how I despised him.

He tapped the microphone. Cleared his throat. The throat I longed to slit with my dagger. The very dagger that belonged to my father.

I forcibly blinked away the tears that threatened to show. My hand absent-mindedly twirled a lock of Cassie's bronze hair. She grinned at me. I smiled back. They were probably the only people that could make me smile. Their sweet innocence made me feel uplifted, somehow.

"Good morning, citizens of Panem," the tyrant said. "I am pleased to inform you all that the Hunger Games will be held this year!"

An outbreak of cheering in the crowd. If I had my bow…

"I have found forbidden children for tributes. The outer districts have indeed been breeding. But I will show them that not obeying will not be tolerated. They will be punished."

He went on to garble about Panem's history. But there's nothing about Katniss Everdeen, the 'Mockingjay'. Of course, with the commonness of the subject we steadily learnt about in district twelve, I had forgotten that the subject was sensitive- not to be breached.

There was a pause as he shuffled his notes. A voice from the crowd said, "Bring out the tributes!"

Several heads swivelled around to see who it was, but the tyrant laughed good-naturedly. "Very well."

Anger swirled inside me, because in my district, a person with words as bold as those would have been shot down. But it is always different in the Capitol. With a pang I thought of it again.

I wanted to go home.

"Citizens of Panem," the dictator announced, "welcome the new Hunger Games tributes!"

The TV screen is blurred as the camera turns towards a door that opens. Chained and gagged, the forbidden children are led out, district by district. There are no kids from district one and two, a couple from district three, five from district four, eight from district five as well as six, nine from district seven, six from district eight, seven from district nine, eight from district ten, ten from district eleven and eight from district twelve.

My eyes are trained on the screen, my neck craned to try catch the faces of the doomed children about to fight each other to death. Horror gripped me into place as the kids from district twelve came into view of the crowds.

All chords of recognition were strummed at the sight of each grim face, making a cacophony that sounded in my ears and echoed in my mind- the noise of terror and fear. At the crescendo, my mouth opened and called out the name of the girl I knew well. The girl I called my best friend. The girl I was now calling. Yelling for her to run.

And Peyton heard my scream.

**The drama is starting! And there's still plenty more to go. Let me know what you think and please review. Thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

I choked off my shout. Funny how she could hear, even with the cheers of the crowd. Her face picked me out of the people. What could she see? A skinny girl wearing the uniform of a the Capitol? A face filled with sorrow? Was Peyton scared?

A wave of rage washed over me as my eyes picked out Julia, cowering on the stage. Nyal was on the other side of the line, throwing her frequent glances filled with worry. She flinched at every jeer. She was the weak link. The smallest.

My despair inside me was almost overwhelming, like I could feel all the sadness of their families inside me. I felt worse for Nyal's mother, with a baby to look after and now two less children, made to fight each other while she had to watch and pretend she enjoyed the entertainment.

I don't know if that was the reason that pulled me forward, but I suddenly felt my hand release Cassie's and Conner's, and my aching feet leading me to the stage. My hands pushed people away. Anger propelled me forward. Anger helped me shove people who would encourage the bloodshed. I vaguely heard my mother call my name.

All I wanted was to be up there, with the forbidden children, like I was. To die along with them, instead of being spared and being forced to watch friends bludgeon each other to death.

I wanted to become a tribute.

A tiny part of me told me that this was stupid. But it was dominated by the other part that was controlling my body through the crowd. Somehow I reached the barricade of Peacekeepers around the stage. It only enraged me further. Peacekeepers? They were the ones who encouraged the brutal ways of the Capitol, finding children and leading them to slaughter.

I pushed them aside and forced myself through.

I felt arms grab my waist and pull me back, but a scream was wrenched out of my mouth, seizing the attention of the people on the stage. With years of skills of hunting and self-survival, I pulled myself free and my foot kicked the Peacekeeper in the stomach. He grunted. I heard the crowd cry in shock. My mind mentally thanked my mother for the killer heels.

I stumbled up onto the steps.

"Please!" I begged the tyrant. "Let- them- go!" I gasped, falling to my knees in front of the crowd. All lights on me. A pleading girl wearing the colours of the Capitol.

I avoided looking at my friends. But I could tell that they could recognise me. Unease swept through the chains, the sound of clinking was all I heard. The crowd was holding its breath.

The tyrant looked over me and into the face of the Peacekeepers. He shook his head. Probably a signal to stop the Peacekeepers from sending bullets through my brain. "My dear girl, I can't do that. These people are the results of breaking the law. Letting them go will encourage others to ignore the law. That cannot happen. They are forbidden children." He nodded. Hands like vices grabbed my arms and pulled me to my feet.

At first, I was at a loss to answer. I fought against the force pulling me back. I resisted, trying to shake the grip off. Then when my words rang out, loud and clear, I felt surprise ripple through the crowd. Even me, I was surprised at my own stupidity. And daring. "So am I!"

This time, a gasp echoed through the square. The tyrant chuckled. The Peacekeeper released me.

"Do you expect me to believe that?"

I looked through the crowd and spotted my mother, hugging my siblings, who looked confused. My mother, on the other hand, had tears streaming down her face. _Don't_, she seemed to be begging. _Don't say it, Lanie._

I could turn back. I knew that if I let the words be heard, the repercussions would be irreversible. There would be no turning back.

But what would I turn back to?

"I'm a forbidden child," I said, straightening up. I caught Nyal's gaze. His eyes averted to someone over to his left. Julia. He was sending me a signal. Save her, please. Save Julia. I gave the smallest nod that I could. "Let her go. Take me instead," I said, pointing to Julia's small, shaking frame.

The tyrant laughed, this time, along with the crowd. "A bargain? Girl, I do not trade two forbidden children. I take them both." He nodded to the Peacekeeper behind me again.

I stepped forward, evading the restraining grasp. "No!" I shouted, thinking quickly. Save Julia. Please. "She isn't the forbidden child. I am."

The crowd was loving it. I was supplying entertainment. The cameras were drinking in the scene. I wondered what the other districts were doing. What my brother was thinking.

My brother.

"She's not a forbidden child. She's my cousin. M-my brother's daughter. You don't want her. She's innocent. Please. _I'm_ the one you want," I pleaded.

"Why was she found in the forest with the others, then?"

Forest. Others. Found. All these words ran through my head as I thought of a convincing lie.

"We met," Nyal spoke up. His eyes avoided my bewildered stare. Behind me, I heard the footsteps of the Peacekeeper come closer.

The tyrant put up a hand and let Nyal speak. "Go, on, boy."

"She was collecting food. She's not one of us."

One of the Peacekeepers marched over and whispered something in the tyrant's ear. "This guard recognises you," the dictator said, motioning to the white suited man beside him. "You fought against him trying to protect the girl. You called her your 'sister'."

A noise a bit like gong, sounding the end of a game went off in my head. This was it. The game's over. I would be killed for lying.

"Niece in law," Nyal said.

Shock spread throughout me. _Niece in law?_

"Is this true?" the tyrant asked, directing his question at me.

"I-uh- yeah," I mumbled, tripping over my words.

"Sorry?"

"Yes," I said, a little louder. "Yes it's true."

"She had no weapons," Nyal said. "Unlike us. She was only in the forest to collect food. I wanted to protect her, because she's my sister in law's child. Her only one, of course. I'm sure my sister-in-law wouldn't like to lose her only child."

"Why wasn't this clarified earlier?" the oppressor asked the Peacekeeper next to him, who seemed stumped.

"Because he hit us every time we tried to talk," Nyal said.

"Hm," the president said, considering.

Hope fluttered a bit inside me, giving me warmth. Giving me a bit of sense too, making me realise that I had sacrificed myself to let Julia go.

I hoped my brother wouldn't let me down.

"Release the girl."

My breath came out of me in a quiet gasp of relief and shock. Julia was free. I kept my face masked so the ruse wouldn't be discovered.

The chains clinked open and little Julia was unbound. She leapt forward and hugged me, her tears wetting my ugly dress. I bent over, whispering to her. "Listen, live with my brother and his wife, they will treat you well. Tell him I love him."

"Lanie!" she cried, as the Peacekeepers pulled us apart.

"You'll be fine!" I yelled.

As the manacles locked shut on my wrists and ankles, severe understanding loomed over me. Julia was now okay, thanks to me. But I certainly wasn't.

The president was now struggling to gain the crowd's attention again. He continued his speech about how the generation of forbidden children should be eradicated, and promised the best Hunger Games yet with extreme enthusiasm.

The Peacekeepers started to lead us back into building while the crowd was cheering. As the doors closed, I caught a glimpse of my mother's face along with the expressions of the twins. All three were terrified. Then the door clanged shut.

And that was the end of my performance.

**I know this one was quite short compared to the others. More are coming! Please review, so I know to continue the story.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

We were led, still bound, into a room two floors from where we entered. The interior of the building was lavish. Velvet furniture, plush carpets, crystal vases of genetically altered roses… Glass was everywhere. Everywhere I looked, there was a sign of the occupant's wealth. Even if a corner was empty, you could tell the owner of the house was rich just by the smooth carving of the marble floor and walls.

The room they put us in was bigger than my house.

It was simple. Blank walls and white carpeted floor. No windows. Lights embedded in the ceiling provided the only illumination. A door in the far end was closed. Probably locked. Eight beds were propped against the walls. Four on one side, four on the other. The Peacekeepers took the chains off us and we were free to roam the room. I just sat on the nearest bed, holding the silver key around my neck for dear life.

I heard a lock click when they closed the door.

Peyton rushed forward and pulled me into a hug. She sobbed on my shoulders.

"Peyton- don't- cry," I said, struggling to breathe and comfort her at the same time.

"Let her breathe, Peyton," Zavier said, from the far side of the room.

"I can't believe- you did- that!" she gasped, wiping tears from her cheeks.

"I couldn't let you guys die without me," I said.

"I'll make sure that you're the first I kill when we get in the arena," Tammin said bitterly, without a trace of a joke in her voice. She sat at the foot of a bed and buried her head in her hands.

Vena stood quietly, fiddling with the white curtain. She didn't look at anyone.

Hilton rubbed his wrists- which were red from the chafing. Kinley was sitting next to Gill, they were both quiet. Nyal was leaning against the wall. He looked the worse out of all of them. He had a gash above the eyebrow, a cut lip, several bruises on his arms and when he coughed, he winced and clutched his chest.

"H-how did you all get found?" I asked.

They all looked at each other nervously. Gill slammed his fist on the ground. The thud made me jump a little. Other than that, no one responded.

"How did they find you?"

"Why do care? You left us," Tammin said. Her eyes were red slightly.

"Tammin-" Zavier warned.

I cut in. "Why do _I_ care? I don't know. I suppose that I should have stopped caring the moment I saw my father dead. I suppose I should have stayed in the crowd and cheered along with them while they let you out." I shouted. "I suppose I should have let Julia die in the arena after being killed by one of you!"

"We were going to try kill the others off and let Julia live," Tammin said.

"Well, sorry I ruined the chance for you to get your moment of glory and shoot other tributes. Sorry, I saved Julia's life. Sorry, I switched places with Julia and volunteered for a death sentence!"

"Yeah, why did you? Especially when you could've been cosy at home, eating big dinners and wearing horrible clothes-"

"I haven't!" I yelled. "I've been doing all I can to not become part of the Capitol!" I seized a blanket from the bed I had been sitting on and threw it on the floor. "I don't want to be controlled by the Capitol. But I volunteered to be a stupid character in their stupid games anyway, so maybe someone might stab me in the eye and I'll meet my father again!" Weary, I collapsed onto the floor and hid my head with the blanket. I shoved part of the material into my mouth and yelled myself hoarse into it.

Curse the Capitol. Curse the Hunger Games. Curse the arenas. Curse the stupid leader of Panem.

Not for the first time, I sobbed myself to sleep. But this time, I was accompanied by my friends, doomed to the same fate as me.

My throat was raw when I woke up. I could hear voices. I was lying down on something soft, like a bed of leaves. At first, I thought that I was back in the woods in district twelve. But it sounded wrong. It felt wrong. It smelt wrong. The glimmer of hope disappeared as I remembered the past events.

I forced my eyes open. The white walls and lights smacked my eyes.

Sitting up, I realised that someone had placed me on a bed and had covered me with the blanket. Probably Gill and Peyton. Their words stopped the moment they saw me move. I gave them all my best accusatory stare in my current state. "What were you talking about?" I asked, my voice cracked and rough. I coughed.

"What we should do next," Peyton said.

I noticed a pile folded clothes at the foot of my bed. I looked at Peyton inquiringly.

"They came in the middle of the night."

"Great," I said hoarsely. I took my dress off, not bothering to be gentle. I heard several seams rip as I tore it off my body. I ignored the Capitol clothes, too, not wanting to wear something the Capitol made for us. I sat down next to Peyton in only my singlet and shorts. Luckily I hadn't bothered to take these off when I had woken up…

"What time is it?" I asked.

"We don't know. They gave us each a roll of bread, slice of cheese and piece of fruit before. I think that was lunch."

"Here's your share," Zavier said, passing me a plate. I ignored the Capitol food, too.

"I still want to know what happened yesterday," I insisted.

Peyton took a shaky breath. "Someone told Manley where we were hiding."

My first thoughts flickered to Hilton, the weak link, but I realised that nobody in the group had choked him to death yet as a punishment. "Who?"

"It's not who you think," she said, reading my thoughts.

"Who?" I repeated.

"It was Teah," Gill grumbled.

I felt like Gill had tackled me to the ground. No breath in me. "Teah?" I asked, but it only came out as a heavy exhale.

Zavier explained. "Apparently, Allie was sick. Fatally sick. So she went to the Capitol- remember the week we didn't have lessons?"

I nodded.

"Well, yeah. They offered medicine, but she couldn't afford it, even if her husband worked at the mines for double the lifetime of the two of them. So they offered a trade."

A memory flashed. Of the president laughing. _A bargain? Girl, I do not trade two forbidden children._

"Anyway," Zavier continued, "Teah promised to lead Manley to us, but somehow, Finn found out."

Finn was one of the lenient Peacekeepers.

"He found us, hidden in the forest, and tried to warn us. But Manley was already there. He hit Finn and he collapsed. They brought him here, too. I don't know what's going to happen to him. After that, it was a fight. But Manley grabbed Julia by the throat and threatened to kill her if we didn't stop."

I gasped. "He did _what_?"

"I know. So we had to stop."

I felt battered and bruised internally. My brain was just sending me the same message over and over. Too much. Too much. Too much. My father died. Too much. I just volunteered to die on live television. Too much. Teah betrayed my friends. Too much.

"So now what do we do?"

"Well," Zavier said, "we're working on strategies. We could act as a team and be stronger. We could get allies from other districts. But the end would be atrocious." Zavier yawned. "I think I'm going to take a nap."

As one, the whole group separated. Even Peyton left, after sympathetically patting me on the shoulder, she disappeared into the room at the end. I was surprised to find that the door opened. It was probably a bathroom.

Suddenly realising that I was cold in only my underclothes, I pulled my knees to my chest and hugged them, wishing that it was my father that I was embracing. A tear managed to escape as I thought of how I had hugged him tightly on the morning that he had died. I clutched the silver key on my chest.

Someone dropped a blanket onto my shoulders.

Startled, I looked up into Nyal's brown eyes. He sat down next to me. "Are you cold?"

"A bit."

"Why don't you wear the clothes, then?"

I grimaced.

"Capitol produce," he said, understanding me.

I nodded.

"If you don't mind the mud, you can wear my old clothes if you want."

I smiled a bit. I realised that he was wearing the clothes given by the Capitol. White shirt and white trousers. He looked really good in them. "Really?"

Laughing a bit, he disappeared from my side and returned with his shirt. It wasn't too dirty, really. Feeling a bit sheepish, I slipped it on. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Thanks as well, by the way."

"What for?"

"I think that this has been the longest we've ever talked without you trying to look away or shoot me."

Looking back, I realised that all my problems had been petty. This morning's events seemed to make me rethink my past. I was going to die shortly, in the arena. My days were numbered. So were Nyal's. I turned my face to his, planning to tell him the truth. The words choked me. I couldn't get them out. I looked away.

"Why did you do it?"

"Huh- what?"

"Why did you save Julia?"

"I didn't want to sit and watch her die in the arena and see others die. I also didn't want her to lose her innocence by killing others, either. I couldn't stand the thought of just standing by and watching when I deserved to be in the arena along with you guys."

"No one deserves to be in the arena, though," Nyal murmured, looking at his hands.

"Except the dumb bastard who put us there in the first place."

"Don't say that," he whispered, looking around like someone could hear.

"What? I'm not scared. I'm going to end up dying, anyway."

"Don't say that too."

"Why?"

"What we were talking about before…" Nyal cast a look at the others before continuing. "We thought that you'd have the greatest chance at winning this thing."

I snorted. "Yeah. I'm going to scream them to death."

"No, it's just- you didn't see yourself when you fought your way onto the stage. You looked frigging impossible to beat."

"To be honest, I didn't want to look at myself, especially because I was wearing that thing," I said, jerking my chin toward the pile of multicoloured clothing.

"What I'm trying to say is that when you want something, you won't stop until you get it."

"Well, that's the thing. I don't want to win."

"Why? You've got nothing to lose," he said, incredulous.

Looking into his eyes, I couldn't bring myself to tell him that I wouldn't be able to stand escaping the arena, if he didn't. "Except my life," I said. "But of course, it isn't worth much anyway, so yeah, I basically have nothing to lose. Thanks to the rich jerk who-"

"Shh," Nyal said, looking around nervously. "They can hear us."

"And how do you think they're doing that?" I said sceptically.

"I don't know. Some sort of technology, probably. But Zavier complained that he was hungry and the Peacekeepers showed up with food."

"Couldn't have been a coincidence?"

"Maybe, if Tammin hadn't said that she needed a toilet. Then that door at the back unlocked. After that, Kinley said it was cold and the room warmed up a bit. Tammin complained again that she needed clothes, and more Peacekeepers showed up with clothes. And-"

"Okay, I get it," I conceded. "They can hear us?"

"Yes. That's basically what I've been trying to tell you."

Casually, almost absent-mindedly, he swung his arm over my shoulders. If my cheeks were as red as the tips of my hair, I didn't know, but Peyton probably did. She caught my surprised gaze from across the room and grinned.

I cleared my throat and shifted an inch away from him awkwardly. Peyton rolled her eyes. Nyal got the hint and retracted his arm. "Uh, sorry."

"It's fine," I said, rubbing my neck nervously.

Nyal noticed my inherited pendant. "Is that a key?"

"Yeah."

"Why-"

The door opened suddenly, interrupting his words. The Peacekeepers marched in and seized everyone's hands, twisting them behind our backs and leading us out. The luxuriance of the place hit me again.

"Where are you taking us?" Tammin demanded, trying to get out of the Peacekeepers grip. Not one of them answered.

"Did anyone ask for anything?" I asked, using Nyal's theory of the Capitol's possible eavesdropping.

They shook their heads.

The Peacekeepers pushed us up a flight of red-carpeted stairs. I remembered the floor from when we went in. It looked like a massive meeting room, a cavern that echoed our footsteps. A seat, like a king's throne was placed at the far end in front of enormous windows. A glittering chandelier hung from the painted ceiling, sending shattered pieces of light around the room. Marble carved pillars stood out from the velvet-draped walls. A red roll of carpet led to the feet of the golden throne.

The Peacekeepers marched us along the carpet, stopping us about a dozen feet from the throne. A door opened somewhere to the right and footsteps echoed through the cavern.

I struggled with my restraints. His grip wasn't gentle. The tips of my fingers were starting to go numb.

"Watch it," the Peacekeeper growled. "Wouldn't like to kill you before the Hunger Games."

"That's funny," I retorted, "Because I wouldn't like to kill anyone before the Hunger Games." I pulled my hands out of his grasp.

Immediately, his hands snatched out to grab them again. I dodged out of his reach and kneed him in the chin. Several Peacekeepers leapt forward to help their comrade. One grabbed my arm. I considered giving him a kick in the gut.

The tyrant's voice rang throughout the hall. "Let her be."

The Peacekeeper released me. The one who was doubled over because of my hit struggled to stand up straight. He hobbled.

The oppressor sighed. "Take him to the infirmary please."

Two Peacekeepers disappeared through a side door.

"You," the dictator said, fixing me with a stern gaze, "have to stop injuring my guards. Your hits have more impact than you think. I might have a shortage."

I scoffed. "Wouldn't want you to get killed, would I?" Sarcasm was obvious in my tone. I felt my friends stiffen at my boldness.

Instead, the man laughed. "I would love to see how the Hunger Games turns out with you in them."

"So would I."

He raised an eyebrow, confused by my words. I understood them perfectly. I would absolutely adore to see how the Hunger Games would go with Panem's leader in them.

"You have a sharp tongue, young lady."

"Why don't you make me an Avox?"

"The whole of Panem saw your performance. There would be an uprising if you were missing in the games. You have created quite the impression."

Uprising. For some reason, this word stuck in my mind more than the others.

"Tomorrow, there will be an introduction to the games. You will all be beautified, dressed in costumes that represent your district's main resource, so for you, it would be coal. Because of the number of people in the games, there has been a slight rule change. It will become as a surprise for all of you. Seventy of you-"

"Wait," Zavier said. "Aren't there seventy-one of us?"

"Unfortunately, one decided to think that they would rather die at their own hands. The numbers have been lessened to an even seventy."

Seventy. Only one will live. Sixty-nine of us had a target at the back of our heads, me certainly. I wondered if they already had a grave dug up for me back in district twelve, where I'd like to be buried. Even still, the recent death had me choking on my breathe slightly. Life can be wiped away in a blink of an eye. Not many would care.

"Of course, you will need a mentor to help you get through the games."

"A mentor?"

"Yes. And a prep team." At these words, his eyes scanned my almost bare body. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Who's our mentor?" I asked him.

"Oh, you know her very well. I'll leave you to get acquainted." He left the room with a knowing grin on his face that bode evil.

Another door opened and my head turned to the sound. Dressed in the crisp white of the Capitol uniform, eyes red and puffy, accompanied by two Peacekeepers, Teah walked into the room.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

I lunged at her.

My fingernails raked her cheek and forehead as we both landed onto the marble floor, into a fierce tangle of arms and legs. The two Peacekeepers beside her lifted me off before I could do any permanent damage. Like maybe death.

"I hate you!" I shouted. "Traitor!"

She just looked at me mutely.

"If anyone deserves to be in the games, it's you!" I screamed. My words bounced back to me from the walls. _Traitor! You! You! You!_

"Lanie, cool it," Nyal whispered, wrapping his arms around my waist and jerking me back a few steps. It was his embrace alone that stopped me from trying to rip Teah's throat out.

"I'd rather die by myself instead of getting killed being taught by you." Part of me was thinking that this was quite extreme to say, but at that moment, all I cared about giving Teah what she deserved.

"Lanie, please, she'll help us survive," Peyton murmured, right beside me. She put a hand on my shoulder. I shrugged it off.

"You go ahead, then. I don't care about surviving. The sooner I die, the better," I said dramatically. I prised Nyal's arms from around me and left the hall, attempting to go back to the white room. A couple of Peacekeepers blocked my way.

"Move," I growled. They didn't budge. Ignoring what the tyrant had said about injuring his guards, I bounded off the first step and tackled one to the ground. The others started reacting immediately. I rolled off the first one and swung my leg around, sweeping the two of the others off their feet. They lied still, winded. Letting gravity take over, I kicked them and all three of them rolled down the steps, disappearing out of sight as momentum pushed them further.

I headed down as well, too, searching for the room. Somewhere, though, I must have taken a wrong turn, because the surroundings started to become unfamiliar. Lost, I turned back, this time looking for the stairs. Before I could, though, a door to the left opened, and a silken-dressed person exited the room, flanked by two Peacekeepers.

Uh oh, I thought, and I turned back the other way. I had only taken three steps before the richly dressed man noticed me.

"Hey!"

I bolted. It was cat and mouse, a frightened animal running in an unfamiliar maze of a house ruled by the powerful feline. Walls decorated with hung paintings blurred into colour as I sprinted. An exit. Any escape would do. A window? An escape from life? Into death? Anything.

Once, I slipped on a rug and fell, but the cool marble floor didn't scrape my skin. I stood up and kept running, checking over my shoulders. Something hard rammed into my stomach and I fell onto my back. I had run into a mahogany table. As I watched, a delicate looking vase hobbled precariously and smashed into the floor. Pieces of crystal spread out. The sound was sharp and piercing.

I swore under my breath. Standing up and brushing slivers of glass off of me, I started to run again, only to find a Peacekeeper wielding a gun waiting for me at the end of the corridor.

Behind me, another Peacekeeper came up, standing beside the richly dressed man. Cornered.

Breathing hard, I looked around, desperate for a door. Trapped. I turned to the man with the gun. "Go. Shoot me."

"I don't think your life should end just yet," the man in the silk clothes said. On a closer look, I realised that he was actually a young boy, only taller.

The tyrant appeared behind me. "Master, I'm sorry, I…" he trailed off as his eyes found the shattered vase and me in my underclothes. _Master?_

"It's fine, Zelix," the boy said. "But I think you've lost a tribute."

I stood in front of the boy in the hall. Teah and the others had gone somewhere else, probably to train or listen to her crappy advice. I watched as the boy sat on the throne. Peacekeepers and Zelix, the bald-headed man that I'd thought was the president, knelt. I stayed standing. Since this kid was the reason I was doomed along with my friends, I didn't feel much like showing respect. Or gratitude. Was I expected to fling myself to the ground, kiss his shoes and say, "I absolutely adore your leadership where plenty of children are massacred for entertainment. Thank you for inviting me and my friends so we can kill each other this year,"?

No. No, not really.

"Kneel," Zelix hissed out of the corner of his mouth.

"You're not the president," I muttered.

"But I can still blast you to shreds in the arena."

"Even when you don't have the guts to kill me yourself. How brave," I retorted.

The boy raised a hand. "Stop."

Zelix closed his mouth. I could sense that he was chewing on words he wanted to say to me.

The boy waved a hand dismissively. "You may leave, Zelix."

Zelix protested.

"Leave," the boy said forcefully, and Zelix turned on his heel and hurried out the door. I didn't understand how someone had this much power.

"You've met Zelix, right?" The boy asked me.

"Yes. But I didn't know his name."

"Well, remember it, seeming that he will be responsible for you death in the arena, perhaps."

"What?"

The boy stood from his throne and walked over to one of the Peacekeepers. He whispered something into his ear. The Peacekeeper left. "Zelix Freehold," he said, pacing the red carpet in front of his throne, "is the Gamemaker."

Gamemaker. It seemed familiar. I realised that this person must be the one in charge of the arena and the horrors it would unleash onto unsuspecting tributes. "He's not the president."

The boy laughed. "No. My father is, but he is unfit and too ill to leave his bed. So I have assumed his role."

"You seem too young to be president of Panem."

"Seventeen," the boy stated. "You are also too young to die at the hands of others, but what choice do you have?"

His words rang in my ears. _What choice do you have?_ Touché, young president. "Aren't you the one who ordered to have forbidden children hunted down and executed?"

He shook his head. "It was not my idea. I have a council made of my father's closest colleagues. They give me advice. I wasn't keen on the idea of killing kids when I was one too, but the council all voted for agreement. Even as president, I couldn't outvote twenty senior leaders."

"How come you don't get shown often?"

"Zelix is my mouthpiece. I prefer to be by my father's side. He is especially weak. Bedridden. I was just going out of his room when you came."

Oh. His situation somehow struck me dumb. Like my father. My father- bedridden, weak, telling me he was about to die. Then dying when I was out to help him. I nodded to the president in acknowledgement.

"What's your name?"

"Lanie. My friends call me Lanie."

"Your friends… the other forbidden children?"

"Yeah."

The boy sighed. "Forbidden children, sent to their deaths, but at least they have a friend's hand to hold while they breathe their last breath." He smiled at me. "I like poetry."

"You don't have friends… sir?"

"No. I don't have time when I have an entire nation to feed." He paused. "You strike me as interesting, Lanie."

I didn't answer.

"You will have your own quarters, a helper, and food for when you ask. Tomorrow, there will be the introduction of the tributes. I have a feeling that there would be a significant change tomorrow."

"Good or bad?"

"It depends." His eyes looked me up and down. "You refuse to wear the clothes we sent?"

I shrugged.

"Not your style, perhaps?"

"I couldn't stand wearing something from the Capitol."

"Ah, I understand." He sat in his chair but stared at me with a strange kind of intensity. "Being the president, I can't show favouritism to tributes, I'm afraid. But if I could bet, I'd bet on you."

"Why?"

"I don't know. But the moment you fought your way to the stage, you brought change to the Games. I'll watch and see how long you survive."

"Send me a parachute, will you?"

He grinned. Not in the way that Zelix did when he gave me Teah as my mentor. But in a warm way that reminded me of how Peyton smiled. Like friends. "Maybe I'll send a private donation." The boy beckoned to the Peacekeeper- which had returned.

"Where are the other district twelve tributes?"

"Training Centre," the Peacekeeper grunted.

"Escort Lanie to her quarters. Keep your hands off of her, though, I think the infirmary is already full of injured Peacekeepers." He winked at me.

I followed the Peacekeeper to one of the doors.

"And Lanie?" he called.

I turned around.

"Kick their butts tomorrow, okay?" he said from his throne.

"Sure thing… sir," I promised.

"Call me Tobias."

"Okay, President Tobias." I managed a smile as the Peacekeeper shut the door and led me to my quarters.

I thought the blanket was worth more than my entire house. It was red, embroidered with gold flowers. The pillows matched and so did the couch. There were two beds in here, so I figured that I was sharing with someone. I hoped it wasn't Tammin. Outside, it was starting to get dark. My stomach rumbled. I remembered that my last meal had been yesterday afternoon. I refused to eat at the dinner table at night so my mother refused to give me food.

Ravenous, I ordered a meal, using a panel inset into the wall and pressing a couple of buttons. A girl with hair chin-length went into the room two minutes later, carrying a silver tray. Lifting the lid, the smell registered with me.

Roasted chicken marinated in herbs. Sundried tomatoes. Vegetables swimming in gravy. A glass of amber-coloured juice. I carefully took a sip. It tasted like apples. A small bowl had berry salad. Strawberries, blueberries, black berries and one that looked like blueberries but had red insides. Pomegranate seeds were added. I was hungry, but I wasn't _that_ hungry.

I looked at the serving girl. "I can't finish this."

She shrugged. Then she pointed to the food and somewhere downstairs.

"I don't understand you."

She did the same motions again.

"What do you mean?"

She slumped her shoulders like she'd given up. Then she mutely pointed to her mouth.

I understood. "You're an Avox."

She nodded.

"What's your name?"

She didn't reply. Of course she didn't. Instead, she pointed to the food and mimed putting a spoon in her mouth.

"Okay, I'll eat. Do you want some? I can't finish this all."

She shook her head vigorously. She probably wasn't allowed to, even if a person offered. Pity welled up inside me.

I felt bad eating in front of her, but my hunger won over. The food was delicious. The chicken was tender and the vegetables were soft. The berries were sweet. The juice was ice cold and reminded me of the sweet apples back in district twelve. I wondered how Julia was doing.

True to my words, I didn't finish the whole thing. The only thing I managed to eat were the berries, because they were like the ones my brother and I picked in the berry meadow in the woods.

The girl took the tray and left the room.

Stomach too full to sleep, I decided to think. So much had changed. I would have never thought, two weeks ago, that I would end up in the Capitol, after having met the president and eating rich foods, only to participate in the Hunger Games. The odds were unimaginable. Yet here I was, in a room, on a bed that was softer than down, stomach full, awaiting death.

Thinking became too painful for me. So I decided to hum. I didn't sing. I didn't know any songs. Sometimes, I'd just hum random tunes. In the forest, if I was bored, I'd coax in mockingjays and hum melodies to them. It was somewhat satisfying to hear them sing my tunes back. My father said that I had a sweet voice. My parents couldn't sing, but my father told me that I must've inherited my voice from his mother.

He also said that I had steady hands. Of course, I had said. How could I shoot with a bow if my hands were always shaking? He had chuckled and had said that I good at drawing. Sometimes, usually when Manley was on his routine check, I'd climb into the tree house and draw. I couldn't afford paper. I used what my father had brought from the Capitol. I had inherited my drawing skills from him, apparently.

My brother was stocky. He was good at tackling down animals. He could kill one in that way as quickly as I could shoot a squirrel in pitch black. He looked like my father. Blue eyes. Ashy blonde hair. The only one in the family who didn't look like my mother.

I wondered how they were doing. If Julia had made it to them. Were they alright? I wonder what they thought of me taking her place. Nyal's mother. She might be happy that her daughter was saved, but guilty that I was dying instead. If I were there, I would tell her to be happy, and I would try to do everything in my power to make sure her son made it out alive. Even if it meant that I died. But if I were there to tell her that, things would be different.

Tired of the never-ceasing wave of thoughts, I walked over to the mahogany desk. There was paper. Good, crisp, clean, sturdy paper that I could never afford one sheet of. The pencils were good too. They didn't rasp against the page like mine did. There were also different colours, too, and I marvelled at the different shades. I used a quarter of an hour to create a rainbow on a page of the paper, using colours that blended into one but merged with another. It looked like a dream.

But I wasn't satisfied. I wanted to draw. I didn't know what, though. I realised that my best work was usually something I never really fussed about. Removing the filter from my mind to my hand, I began to sketch lines. Scenes from my own life were drawn onto the paper through my eyes. Put there by my hand. Each had different colours from emotion. Each had different meaning.

Drawing my bow and a blurred arrow making its way to the doe. Most colours were dark, but the angle of the bow and the arrow's journey directed the eye to the doe.

Nyal passing Julia several berries. I realised that Nyal was the focus of this picture, he was the most coloured and most detailed.

Watching the dawn through the leaves that shaded my tree house. This was colour. I concentrated on streaks of hues across the page, blending the colours into one spectacular other colour I had no name for.

Holding my father's hand, not having come to the terms of his departure. This was dark. Almost everything was in shadow. I had coloured my father's hand with the lightest of the darks, so it was the only thing I could see.

Seeing Nyal trying to tell me something as the train was leaving. He was the focus too. The walls of the train and my district as the background were coloured dull, somewhat blurred, but his face and the urgency of his expression were in significant detail.

Finding my friends on the Capitol's stage through the crowd. This was colourful, but the colours of the crowd were blending in with the lightness of the hand. My friends, on the other hand, were grim faces, the chains the most distinguishable and their colours- how much they stood out.

Ending up with them. This picture had my mother and my siblings into focus. Other faces of the crowd were blurred. Unimportant. My stomach twinged at the intensity of my siblings' expressions.

The results were astonishing.

By the end of the seven pictures, my hand was smeared with different colours. The pencils were blunt. But I still wasn't finished. Subconsciously, my left hand went up to my chest, where my father's key dangled.

My hand began to etch shapes and lines onto paper again. It filled the entire sheet. Dominated it. The watcher had no choice but to look at it.

Tired and weary, I decided to sleep, but not before taking one last look at my last most recent creation.

A picture of my father's hand clutching his intricate silver key.

**Keep reading- the next chapter is the makeover! I kind of got the idea of the costumes from Katniss Everdeen's. :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

I flew out of bed and onto my feet.

"Whoa. Calm down. It's only me," Peyton said.

"Oh," I mumbled groggily, dragging myself into bed again. "How was training?"

"We didn't do much."

"So it was boring?"

"No, it was interesting."

"How can you not do much yet still be interesting?" I asked, sitting up.

"Do you know how she only gave us in for Allie?"

"Yeah?" Even in my sleepy state, the mention of Teah still burned me up a little.

"She apologises."

"Hm," I said, and lying down again.

"We met our prep team, by the way."

"And?" I asked.

"They're actually really nice. A little crazy, though."

"Everyone in the Capitol is crazy," I said into my pillow.

Peyton laughed- a sweet childish laugh that reminded me of innocence and lifted up my spirits a bit. "Our designer's name is Rica. From district three. You have to wake up early tomorrow to get dressed for the introduction."

"It's a cool combination isn't it? Glitz, glamour, fame and death. Plus, the whole of Panem gets to watch."

"Yeah," Peyton agreed sarcastically. "It's absolutely super."

I heard her go into her bed.

"Goodnight, Lanie."

"Sweet dreams, Peyton." While you still have them.

I let the memories of district twelve lull me to sleep.

The window let the sunlight stream in and wake me up. It didn't need to, though. Peyton was shaking my shoulders rigorously.

"What?" I groaned.

"Wake up. Get down to breakfast, you have to meet Rica."

"Will Teah be there?"

"Err… yeah, probably."

"Well then, see you in the arena."

"Lanie!"

"Ten minutes, please."

"No. Wake up. Take a bath."

"I hope I drown."

"Aw, come on! Nyal will be there," she said teasingly. I rolled over and shoved her playfully in the shoulders.

Staggering out of bed, I went into the bathroom. I tore off my clothes. Ungluing my eyes, I realised that there was no bath. Just a small room with glass and doors, another panel in the wall and a drain on the ground. A shower.

I slammed my palm down onto the panel, pressing several random buttons. My eyes hadn't quite focused themselves yet.

Immediately, a shower of warm water came cascading down. Another hidden hose sprayed soap. Mechanical hands came down and started to massage my scalp, a fragrant liquid oozed out of its fingertips, creating foam on my hair.

_So this is how the rich live_, I thought.

The shower stopped when all the foam and soap was gone. A blast of hot air shot out of nowhere and sent the drops of water off my skin. A glass container came down over my head and another jet of heat parted all the knots from the hair. As the container disappeared, I realised my hair was dry. A smooth glossy curtain of hair. Looking in the mirror, I realised that the liquid must have had some chemical that did something to my hair. The red was more noticeable than ever.

When I came back into the room, Peyton was gone. There were two packages on my bed and a note. _Compliments of the President_, the paper said. I unwrapped the packages. One was my mother's dress, the one she had given me to wear yesterday. The other was a simple blue dress. I marvelled at the smoothness and cleanliness of the material.

A note pinned to it said, _This isn't from the Capitol. This is one of my mother's old dresses, made by a woman in district four. Wear it._ The writing was neat, educated. From Tobias, the president, most likely.

I slipped the sea-blue dress on. It fitted perfectly. I liked it too. No ruffles, no fuss, no weird decorations, or clashing of colours. The hem came to my knees. It was simple, yet for a person from district twelve, a luxury.

The Avox girl came in at this moment and started to clean up the wrapping paper from the packages.

"Uh, do you know where the others are?" I asked her, placing my mother's dress on the bed-side table along with the President's note.

She thought for a moment, then pointed to the floor and put up two fingers.

"Two floors down?"

She nodded.

"Thanks." I left the room.

Hoping that I was going in the right direction, I found a flight of stairs. I headed down them. I walked around until I found another round of stairs. I was feeling proud of myself, not having got lost just yet.

I ended up in a corridor with several doors on either side of the walls. A door at the far end was open, guarded by Peacekeepers. Sounds like laughter and talking came through it. Hopefully it was the right place. I'd hate to end up in the middle of one of Tobias' council meetings.

Entering the room, I heard all the words and laughter die down into silence. The pressure of seventy pairs of eyes on me almost made my knees wobble. Then a voice called out in the far end of the hall. "Hey, Lanie! We're over here!"

Thankful for Zavier's tendency to talk, I headed over to them.

I felt a warm hand touch me on the arm. Because it wasn't the gloved touch of a Peacekeeper, I didn't turn around and wallop the person in the head. Luckily enough, because it was Tobias' hand on my arm.

"You like the dress?" he murmured.

"Yes, thank you."

"Enjoy the food."

I nodded. Going past the first few tables, I ignored their belligerent stares. Some people gave me envious glares. Some hands tightened around knives and forks. I tried not to imagine what I'd look like with the bread knives sticking out of my head. The next couple of tables were nicer. They stared open mouthed, probably because I was on speaking terms with the leader of Panem.

Great. I needed another reason for someone to run me through with a dagger.

I struggled not to wince as the sound of my footsteps reverberated everywhere. The table for district twelve was much more welcoming. Peyton pulled a chair out for me. I sat down onto the cushion. Teah wasn't anywhere, so that was good.

"Where'd you get the dress?" Peyton whispered.

"Uh…"

"Oh, Lanie, you _have_ to try the beef. It tastes awesome," Zavier said, passing me a plate of gravy-covered meat.

Slowly, people started to talk again. But occasionally, eyes would turn my way, and I'd turn to meet them with a smile that they couldn't comprehend. Satisfaction would come when they turned away with embarrassment. Dish after dish of the most delicious foods were placed in front of me, and I ended up only eating about a couple of spoons from every dish. Grill marinated fish, stew and rice, chicken and salad, lamb chops and mashed potato, roast beef, the variety was endless. Sweet dishes followed the savoury. Fruit pudding, yoghurt with fruit pieces, something cold but had different colours that Tobias called ice-cream, little lollies with different insides, creamy mousse, different cakes with toppings… I couldn't fit anymore.

Words were subdued- maybe because stomachs were too full to talk. Not many people were staring at me now, and I was thankful. Zavier always kept the conversation flowing and laughter was common at our table. We could've been back at district twelve eating food we'd caught ourselves but still be equally boisterous.

At some point, Nyal traded places with Vena to sit next to me.

"Nice dress," he murmured.

I shrugged.

"Where'd you get it?"

"Somebody. I found it on my bed along with my mother's dress." I wasn't technically lying, I was only avoided the main information.

Nyal didn't pursue the subject. "You look good."

"Thank you." I bit the inside of my cheek, hoping they weren't red. I looked at Tobias subtly, to see if he was watching, but he was talking to a serious-looking man with a greying beard. Probably one of his father's friends. Zelix was there too. "Did you know that Zelix-"

"Is the Gamemaker?" Nyal continued. He grimaced. "No. But they told us yesterday. We also met Rica. She's from district three- our designer." He winced a bit at the last word.

"Yeah I know, Peyton told me." I studied his expression. "Do you really think we'll look that bad?"

"We'll be the laughing stock of Panem."

"Because we already aren't," I said sarcastically.

Nyal looked over his shoulder somewhere behind us. He stared with such intensity for three seconds that I started to get worried. Then he turned back to me.

"What?" I asked.

"A boy at district four," he said bitterly.

"What about him?" I swivelled my head around to look.

"No, don't," he muttered, taking my shoulder gently and turning me back to the table.

"What's wrong?"

"The way he looks at you."

"So what?" I said. "I'll shoot him with an arrow."

"You don't have any now, don't you?" Nyal said. "We saw him at the training centre yesterday. Looks like he's the one to beat."

"Can't I just look at him?" I asked, wanting to size the boy up, imagining how easy it would be to pin him in the jugular with my arrows. I turned around. My eyes didn't have to search for long. I almost immediately found his gaze. The severe glare locked me into place.

He was the one to beat, alright. His bulkiness just about matched Gill's, and his hands looked like they could do more damage than a carving of an arrow.

"Oh," I said, breaking the stare. "Why is he staring at me, for?"

"Because to the others, you're the one to beat. Even to us. If you weren't from district twelve, I probably would think you should be the first to kill."

I fought down a shudder. "You would stare at me like you were trying to stab me with your eyes?"

"Maybe not." He lowered his voice. "I'd probably be gawking at you."

I couldn't help but giggle a bit. To my left, Peyton raised an eyebrow. Nyal placed his arms around my shoulder again, and this time I didn't shy away. I was going to die, anyway, might as well make the most of my remaining time alive. Also, I wanted a barrier from the other boys extremely loathe-filled gaze.

The breakfast ended with Tobias bidding us good luck. Teah arrived and led us up four floors. It was all new to me, but the others navigated easily. Unlike the lavish decoration in the other floors, everything was a blank white like the first room we had been sent into.

There were twelve doors. One for each district. Teah led us out to the one at the far end. Inside, there were a dozen people. They all shrieked with delight when they saw us, and screeched even more when they noticed me.

"This one is new!" one said gleefully, clapping her manicured hands.

They crowded around me, studying my posture. One grabbed a lock of my hair and sniffed it. I flinched at their non-human like movements. Another one prodded my leg and attempted to raise the hem of my dress a little higher. I batted her hand away and recoiled.

"We are trying to take a look at you!" one reasoned.

"You look with your eyes, not your hands," I snapped.

They let out cries of joy at my reply. "She is feisty!"

"Sexy!" one exclaimed.

"Gorgeous!" one squawked.

"Leave her alone," a calm voice said.

The prep team parted to reveal a woman with honey coloured hair and three jewels embedded in her hand. She had a pair of glasses. Her clothes lacked the colour and flare of the Capitol fashion. Other than the jewels sewed into her skin, she seemed normal.

"I am Rica," she said, holding out her bejewelled hand.

I shook it. "Lanie."

She nodded in recognition. "The one who took the little girl's place. I had planned a costume to make her innocent and lovable, showered with gifts from sponsors. But I think that you don't suit those kinds of costumes, yes?"

"Err…"

"No," she muttered to herself. "Luckily I had a good enough look at you when you took the stage. The dress you wore was horrendous."

I smiled. "I'm glad someone else thinks the same."

"Gretchen, Tawny, Hilda, Jasmine, Xaynee- tend to the other girls. Stick to the plan. Mona, stay with me. Langdon, Cyan, Joa, Tam, Yale and Frey- the boys."

They nodded and followed Rica's orders. All of them seemed to have altered themselves in one way- flowers sewn into the scalp, gems embedded in skin, a slight tinge of a different hue to the skin, unnatural eye colour- things like that.

Mona's eyes were a rich deep purple. They studied me closely as I was ordered to strip down to nakedness. Rica drew a curtain around the bed for privacy. Told to lie down, I obeyed.

"Slim figure… not much hair… beautiful hair colour… natural?" she asked me.

I nodded.

"Posture- perfect… complexion- fair… eyes- bright green, something Capitol alterations can't achieve," she commented.

"Should I bring out the waxing kit?" Mona asked.

"No. Take the tweezers, though. Work on the brows."

Mona plucked a hair from my eyebrows. Gritting my teeth, I dealt with it. I hoped that when they finished, my family would still recognise me. I didn't want to change in the Capitol, or the arena.

I hoped I wouldn't lose myself in the Games.

"Ready for your costume?" Rica asked.

I nodded.

For three hours, they worked on beautifying me. Halfway through, Mona left and came back with a salad and ham sandwich for me to eat. After that, it was back to the task of making me gorgeous again. After removing any 'unwanted' hairs from my body, they coated me in some foul smelling substance, left me (I felt horribly like I was marinating), and rinsed me. My skin was as smooth as baby skin. They weren't finished, though. They scrubbed me down and coated me in another substance- this time, it was fragrant. They rinsed me straight after. My skin was now smooth and silken looking.

While Rica rinsed and worked on my hair, Mona set to work on applying make-up to my skin. I watched as my arms disappeared under different colours.

My face was next. They had cleaned my teeth, making them pearly white. But now, I was also disappearing. I would have a new face. A face that the Capitol would give me.

"Will they recognise me?" I asked, worried.

"Yes. I like to think that my job isn't to make people look so beautiful that they lose themselves, but to make sure that they are remembered for who they are." She smiled at me reassuringly.

Now, seated on the bed, Rica came in, carrying a plastic covered costume. My costume. The costume that would decide my survival in the games.

"Turn around," she said. "Close your eyes."

I shut my vision out and put myself completely in the hands of Rica and Mona. Rica pulled a silky-smooth garment over my head. Underclothes, probably. I heard a zip being opened. I felt my foot being fitted into something, then my other foot. Something smooth was pulled up to my thighs, to my chest, and then my arms were slipped into the sleeves.

"Cover the mirror, Mona," I heard Rica say.

Something was tied at my back, but I could still feel my skin exposed. I wasn't vulnerable, though, not under the layer of all that make-up. The costume hugged my skin perfectly- no loose spots.

Rica placed my feet into something snug. Then the other. High-heeled boots- it felt like. Maybe I could crawl to the stage.

"Open your eyes, Lanie."

I opened them. The mirror was covered. I couldn't see my face. I looked down and let out a gasp.

"Rica, what did you put me in?"

The material was stretchy. The pattern was clearly the pattern of a cave. Yet pure black. When I moved, parts of the costume shimmered in the light. Like the night sky and the twinkling stars. Except it was only on my body. I knew what it was. Almost every person in district twelve depended on it. My brother mined it. Coal.

Rica pushed something into my hand.

"Uh, a weapon?"

"A pickaxe," Rica corrected. She smiled. "Wave it around."

Feeling foolish, I moved the pickaxe through the air. My night-sky suit switched to life, and veins of lightning shot through the little gaps between the coal pieces.

"Coal provides electricity," Rica said.

"No way," I said, waving the pickaxe around. Mona ducked and the blade passed through the air above her head. "Whoa." Electricity. Rica. District Three. Of course…

"One more thing," Rica said. She patted a little black mask on my face. Okay- unrecognisable. She placed something on my head. A hard hat, one that miners wore- complete with headlight.

"Really," I said. "Do I need this?"

"You can throw it into the crowd if you want. Keep the mask on, though. Okay, here are your instructions," Rica said. "The battery pack will last twelve hours. When you come up onto the stage, I want you to slam the tip of the blade into the ground. Don't panic at what happens next. I designed it. You'll be safe."

A voice at the back of my head said, _Uh oh_.

"Then make the others shine like you."

Mona placed a hand on my shoulder. "They'll never forget you."

**So... what do you think so far? Just wait till the Introduction in the next chapter! I'll blow you all away (little hint there). Also, I've got a question. Do any of the characters remind you of anyone in your real life? Who and in what way? Just a little question. :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

My friends were dressed like me. Except…

"Hey, where's _my_ pickaxe?" Zavier complained.

I grinned. "Pickaxes are for the leader only." I waved it. Our suits lit up. It was like I was the controller. I laughed.

"You look great," Peyton said.

"So do you." I hugged her. "Jeez, I'm nervous."

We waited in our room. My body shook with nerves. My stomach churned. For an hour, we waited.

"I wonder how the others are going," Zavier said, seeming to be unable to stand the silence.

"I hope they're going bad," Tammin said.

We were called downstairs. My footsteps were tiny- more like shuffles. I shivered not from cold, but from nerves. Nyal came over and put his arm around me, anyway. I appreciated the support.

"Don't worry, they'll love you," he said.

"Ha-ha," I said sarcastically.

"Have you seen yourself lately?"

I shook my head, unable to hand out any more sarcastic comments. Down here, I could hear the crowd. Cheers. My stomach churned even more.

"District Twelve," a man said, calling us over.

I grabbed Peyton's arm and pulled her with me.

"Nuh-uh," Rica said, separating my grip. "You stand by yourself. You are the leader."

"I don't want to be the leader," I muttered.

I stood there, facing the doors. The crowd was now quieting. Waiting. For me. My heart was hammering against my ribcage.

My nose was almost touching the ornately carved doors. My hands were clammy and my grip on the pickaxe was started to slip from sweat. If I didn't get a hold of myself, I probably would have sweat off all the makeup. All too soon, a man called out our district number to Panem, and the doors swung open to reveal a deafening crowd.

Lights momentarily blinded me, but my focus soon came. People. Hundreds of them. To see me. To see us. To cheer us on while we killed each other.

A lush red carpet led its way into the crowd. A human barrier of Peacekeepers held the screaming horde back.

My mind told my foot to take a step. And another. And another. Then I was walking through the audience.

Confidence grew as I took more steps. My name and a few others rang through my ears. _Don't worry, they'll love you_, Nyal had said.

Every now and then I waved to the crowd and smiled. Pretended that I loved them for encouraging bloodshed. I moved the pickaxe. Satisfaction welled up inside me at the sound of their collective gasps.

An enormous TV above the stage provided me an image of myself. I had to bite back a gasp myself. I was extremely unrecognisable under the mask. But every flash of energy illuminated my face. The mask became invisible in the light of my suit and my face would be seen for half a second. Then it was gone. Rica was an absolute genius.

I grabbed my hat and flung it into the swarm of citizens. People dived to retrieve it.

Finally, the stage drew near. A Peacekeeper helped me up the steps.

People screamed and cheered. Flowers were thrown at our feet. Our names were shouted out.

"Ladies and gentlemen of Panem, this year's tributes for district twelve!" The host called.

I grinned and waved. Another wave of cat-calls.

I looked back to my friends for assurance. They were assembled in a line, but I was at the front. Their leader. The one with the pickaxe. Peyton nodded and motioned a swinging action. Oh. Pickaxe.

Stepping forward, I raised the pickaxe. Several people gasped as they realised what I was going to do. I swung it down as fast as I could before sense could register. The tip sank through the stage's floor.

The lights blacked out and all was dark. Silence. Then, before anyone could react, a single light flickered on. I looked around for a source- then I realised, that it was me. The light was me.

Behind me, lights turned on, too, but not as bright as mine. Finally, the light consumed my suit and little coal-like shapes of the material fluttered to the ground. My mask dropped off. My costume was gone.

A completely different person stood in my place.

The undergarment that Rica had put on wasn't an undergarment. It was a dress. A one-shouldered white dress that came halfway down my thighs- and that was it. My arms… what did Mona do? Black stripes ran across them, patterned with different shades of orange. My legs, too, had the same pattern. Parts of my boots had torn off, leaving only sandals with laces going up to the ankles.

My eyes went to the TV. My mouth opened in a small 'o' of astonishment.

I looked like me alright- but enhanced. Dark shadows streaked up on my eye region. Lines of black. But as I moved, the vision flickered. I was me, then not me. Then me again. Rica had managed to bring out my other side. The side that everyone had seen when I had taken the stage, laying down my life so Julia was free. The side that the Peacekeepers felt when I attacked them. The side that took over me when I leapt at Teah. The side that showed up at every hunt, when I was armed with my father's weapons.

My other side was a tigress.

Mona had managed to make me look feline. My hair had gone out of its bun fell like a wild cascade over my shoulders, down my back, down my chest. Unforgettable. Recognisable.

Turning around, to make sure that my friends could see what I could, I noticed that their suits were still on. They hadn't burnt off, like mine. _Then make the others shine like you_, Rica had instructed.

Walking over to Peyton who was the second in line, I took off her mask, giggling. Immediately, her suit glowed white and dissolved. She was a zebra. Going one by one, I tore off my friends' masks- revealing them to the crowds.

The stage was a zoo. Hilton- a squirrel. Zavier was a monkey, his tail brushed the floor. Vena- an eagle. Gill was a humungous polar bear. Tammin- a grizzly. Kinley was a buck.

Last in line was Nyal. I smiled at him and gently took his mask off.

His animal was tiger. The crowd doubled its cheering- it was now a roar, dotted by wolf-whistles. "Okay," I said. "This is not a coincidence."

Taking his hand, we all bowed. The stage was a zoo. The multitude of people were a wild jungle.

Finally, a Peacekeeper opened a door and we disappeared behind the stage. I gave one last wave as the curtain closed. Show over.

Rica was waiting for us. "That was great!" she exclaimed, hugging us all in turn.

My arms felt like jelly. I still hadn't let go of Nyal's hand.

"Great?" I said. "You designed the costumes that made us great."

"Three cheers for Rica!" Zavier yelled. The backstage was suddenly full of our voices. Several people turned to glare, some looked on in amusement.

Teah appeared.

The holiday mood died down a bit as my friends studied my reaction. Nyal squeezed my hand as a warning. _Don't lose it._

"Hello Teah," I said stiffly.

Her lips twitched. "Hello Lanie." She stuttered a bit then shut her mouth. She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry-"

"Yeah," I said. I would've stopped at that, but Nyal squeezed my hand again. "I'm sorry too," I said, trying to look ashamed. My friends failed to stifle a sigh of relief.

Teah drifted off with Rica for a private conversation, while the prep team fussed over us. Nyal smiled at me. "You didn't lose your head."

"Not completely, no," I agreed as Mona handed me a robe to put on.

I caught the eye of the boy brutish boy from district four. I narrowed my eyes and bared my teeth slightly- tigress style. The other tribute from district four, a girl with blonde hair, tugged on his arm, grabbing his attention. "The nerve of people," I muttered.

"If you want, I carve his eyes out in the arena for you," Nyal offered.

"No. He's mine… to kill," I added, catching the look on Nyal's face.

"Oh." Nyal grinned.

"Not in that way," I said, shoving him slightly and rolling my eyes. "I can't wait to get all the make-up on me. My skin can't breathe." I stretched.

"Get up early tomorrow, we've got training."

I groaned. Peyton called my name, telling me that we had to go.

"See you," I said to Nyal, and starting to walk away.

"Err, Lanie?" Nyal asked.

"Hm?"

Nyal held up our hands, mine still holding on to his tightly. He raised his eyebrows. I smiled a bit at my own stupidity, hoping that I wasn't blushing about the fact that I was reluctant to let go. "See you," I repeated, then left with Peyton.

Reaching the room, Peyton hopped onto the bed, jittery from either being famous, or the thrill of having survived Capitol citizens. Either way, both feats were still something to be proud of.

While I waited for Peyton's hyperactive behaviour to wear off, I headed into the shower. I picked buttons this time, hoping that I would get the same type of shower as the morning's. The water became multicoloured as the makeup was washed off my skin. I relished the feeling of the warm water.

I seemed to have caught Peyton's bug. Inside of me, there's a pleasant feeling- the feeling of knowing that I am loved in a way. A buzzing of a feeling. I don't think it was so much about the people screaming out my name, but something else. I felt warmth spread into my cheeks as I remembered. Being the tigress. Nyal being the tiger. Had Rica done that on purpose?

I stared dumbly at my hand, remembering that I had gripped his so tightly. So naturally. So casually. Everything seemed to have evaporated. I was sure that I would have taken a swipe at Teah, if Nyal hadn't been holding my hand. I was sure I would have thrown up from stage fright, if Nyal wasn't there to support me.

The container came down and dried my hair. I checked in the mirror briefly to make sure I was clear of all makeup. I was satisfied when I looked like myself.

As I went back into the room wrapped in a towel, I realised that I had nothing to wear. I opened the closet and was immediately bowled over by the clothes. "Oh, wow," I muttered.

"I know right?" Peyton squealed, appearing next to me. "Ooh, there's a note! There's a note!"

I recognised the writing. Tobias has scrawled, _More clothes- can't have you walking around in only your underwear._

I ordered Peyton to go calm down in the shower as I changed into a pair of shorts and a singlet. I didn't wait for her to finish. God knows how long she'll take to repeat to me the recent events in explicit detail- no matter how many times I'll tell her that I was there too, she'd still yabber on. I slipped into bed.

And let the memories of Nyal lull me to sleep.

**Sorry guys, I know it's been a while since I've last updated. But don't worry, more chapters are definitely coming. Reviews?**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Dreams disturbed my sleep last night. I dreamt that I had turned into a tigress and that I had attacked the boy from district four, slashing his throat to ribbons with my razor sharp claws. In a puddle of his blood, I saw a mutt in the reflection. A cold chill ran down my back when I realised that I was the mutt. I was part tiger. Altered by the Capitol. My scream of fury and shock came out as a despairing roar.

I woke up drenched in cold sweat, the sound of my roar still echoing in my ears.

"Peyton?" I asked the emptiness.

"Here!" a voice replied from the next room.

Shaking, I went into the shower, peeling off my clothes as I went. I didn't only wanted to wash off the sweat, but the images of the dream. The warmth of the water unknotted my muscles, but my mind remained twisted. Dry, I wrapped myself in a towel. _Talk to Peyton_, my mind ordered. _You will feel better_.

I went into the next room to talk to her. "Peyton, I need to talk to y-"

My voice died when I saw that Peyton wasn't alone. Zavier snickered at my almost-nakedness. My other friends averted their eyes- Tammin rolled hers. Nyal's eyes widened a bit then turned away. "Uh, hey," he said to the floor.

"Hi… Err-" I turned into the bedroom and slid the door shut before they could see how crimson my face was.

I threw on the first clothes my hands reached. Luckily, they fit. Slim black trousers that hugged my legs and a purple shirt. The others were more of a Capitol taste- a sight that hurt to look at- or showed my than the towel did.

"Nice to see you've got clothes on," Zavier said, as soon as I stepped foot into the room.

"What's this about?" I asked. "Forbidden children club?"

"More like a district twelve tribute meeting," Teah said, stepping into my sight.

Where was Nyal's hand to hold when I needed it? I sat down beside Peyton on the couch. "What have I missed?"

"Not much, Sleeping Beauty. We were waiting for you to wake up before we discussed anything major," Zavier said.

"And seeming that you're our leader…" Peyton said in her sing-song voice.

"No I'm not. Wasn't it just a front?"

"Rica seems to think otherwise," Nyal counteracted. I bit my lip as a desperate attempt to stop the pink colouring my cheeks. "And it would look weird if the leader suddenly changed."

"Correct, Nyal," Teah said. "Today is our first training day. We have to work on our tactics."

"Make allies- lots of them," Kinley revised.

"Avoid stations that would give away our strengths," Zavier said, ticking them off his fingers.

"And train on things we're not really good at," Peyton said. "So for me, that's basically everything."

"That's not true," I said. "You tackled that doe to the ground remember?"

"Yes it is. I can tackle a deer, but humans fight back. I can't shoot an arrow like you."

That was true. She couldn't shoot, but I've seen her slice with a sword. Nimble and agile. Even better with a knife. She could gut seven tributes before they could even know what hit them. Twenty tributes if they're too stupid to figure how to hold a weapon.

"So today, stick to winning over other tributes. Steer away from three and four- they're worse than Careers." Careers were trained for the Hunger Games. It was they're life- maybe death. "But work on the others. Eleven and ten should be easy to pull over," Teah advised.

"But what happens at the end if we've killed all the others?" I asked- it was a grim fate.

"Sever all ties and bonds, I'm afraid," Teah said sourly. "You have to end up killing them."

Her words rang in my head. _Sever all ties and bonds, I'm afraid_. "Sever all ties?" I burst out. "Sounds so easy coming from you. Oh, I forgot, you're the reason why we ended up here in the first place!" I leapt to my feet.

"It's the only way-"

"'_It's the only way!_'" I mimicked. "Traitor. You'd rather let other kids die." I spat at the carpet in front of her. Nyal rose slowly and took my arm gently.

"Allie died," Teah said quietly. "The treatment didn't work." She slid down to the floor and buried her head in her hands.

An image of Allie, with her curly brown hair and two-teeth-missing-smile, leapt into my head. Gone.

"I'm- I'm sorry," I said. I sat down onto the sofa again, shame-faced. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

"_Sorry?_" Tammin repeated. "That's all you've got to say-"

"Shut up!" Zavier exclaimed. "None of us knew-"

"SHUT IT!" Peyton screamed. Her voice pierced my ears. She was standing on the sofa for extra height, so we all had to look up at her. "If we fight among ourselves, we've got no chance of winning this thing!"

"She's right," Gill intoned slightly- though his voice was still a rumble.

"I'm sorry," Teah sobbed. "I'm so sorry I put you all here. Allie died anyway. You're all going to die in vain. I'm so sorry." She rocked back and forth. "Look at me. Your mentor's a wreck. For kids I condemned to death, you deserve better than this."

I looked at Nyal, who had taken the seat next to me as a precaution.

Sever all ties. I made a solemn vow that my tie will him will never be torn. Not if the world was offered in exchanged. Only death would be able to break the bond. My death. If my death ensure his escape, I'd happily depart this life. My father was waiting on the other side.

Teah managed to hold in the tears and sent us off to training.

The floor was open. Several instructors were at different stations, waiting for us to take our pick. Several districts were already here. Even- with a grimace- district four. The boy tied a noose at the knot-tying station while watching me make my way to wilderness survival.

A small balcony above the training floor housed several instructors. They watched us with beady eyes. I wondered if they'd already planned some spectacular way of blowing me to shreds. I recognised Zelix from the reflection of the light onto his head.

A few minutes into the lesson, Peyton and I realised that we knew everything. All of it were from Teah's middle-of-the-night lessons. We switched to another station where the instructor taught us how to weave, tie specific knots, make fishing hooks and other important things out of basic materials. A couple of district eleven kids were also learning, and Peyton and I started the conversation. They were wary at first, but soon began to warm up to us.

"I'm Ni," said the girl with black hair. "This is Noah, my youngest brother," she said it with a sort of sadness. The boy beside her nodded. With a sickening pang, he reminded me of Julia. Young. Innocent. Deserved better.

"Do you want to be allies?" I asked her, as I practiced setting up snares. The instructor nodded in approval at our work.

Her eyes widened at the word. "Allies?"

"Yeah, allies. That way we can make sure you and your brother are safe."

At those words, she nodded and pulled Noah into a hug. I blocked out the memory of Teah telling us to sever all ties. I would deal with it later.

A scrawny boy that reminded me of Hilton scampered to my side at the camouflage station. He was constantly fidgeting. His eyes darted everywhere every half a second, taking in the scenes.

"Hey," he said.

It took a while before I realised that he was talking to me. I lifted the brush off my arm, halting the work of making the limb camouflage in grass.

"Hi," I replied.

"You're from twelve?" Like Peyton, he couldn't seem to be able to string together a full sentence.

"Yeah. How about you?" I dipped the brush into a shade of a lighter green for the tip of the grass stalks.

"Three. Electricity. Rica is your designer."

"Yeah."

"I know how she made your costume. Easy."

"Okay."

"Allies?"

Gee, that was quick. "Sure." I shook his hand. He didn't seem so untrustworthy, and he would be a valuable ally in the arena- with traps and all.

I watched the boy switch to another station. I didn't notice someone else take his place next to me.

The blonde-haired boy grabbed a brush from a pile. I had the urge to gouge out his eyes with the handle of my brush.

"Trying to win over allies?" the boy said, fixing me with his usual glare.

"Not really trying," I said. Something about him always put me on edge. "I don't need to, you see. They'll come running over." Arrogance coloured my tone.

"No, you don't need to. Especially when I'll kill you the minute we get in that arena. Allies won't help." The knuckles of his hand turned white as he gripped the brush tightly. I couldn't help notice the muscles and tendons that lined his arms.

When I was going to die in the arena, I'd rather not die in vain. "No you won't," I said, my voice cold and hard. "The _second_ I step foot in the arena, I would have killed you twenty times over before you've hit the ground. I'm telling you now, because you won't have much warning once we arrive."

His hand closed around my wrist, ruining the camouflage. The blood circulation stopped immediately. I tried hard not to grasp. Those muscles weren't just for show. Any more pressure and he would crush the bone. Just to show my strength, I didn't make a sound.

"You're all talk. No strength. I could break you as easy I could break a twig. That's what you are. A worthless twig. You won't be able to stop me from winning. I'll kill anyone who gets in my way. When it comes to you, I'll enjoy it."

I managed to wrench my wrist out of his grip. "You better enjoy it, you haven't got long to live." I glared as hard as I could into those calculating eyes.

His lips twitched. "I can't wait to see what the people do when I tear your heart out. Your boyfriend won't be able to do anything. After you, it'll be his turn."

My blood ran cold. He was talking about Nyal. Of course he was. He'd never get him. I'll kill him first. Even if I die trying. As long as Nyal lives.

"Ladies first, as always. Then it _will_ be my turn to kill you," a voice growled in my ear. Nyal stood with his hand gripping a razor sharp sword with a wicked curve of the blade. It glinted in the light. "Got anything else to say?" His lips were curved in a hair-raising snarl.

The boy's eyes flickered to the sword in Nyal's hand. A brush against a sword. What chance did he have?

"See you in the arena," he said, throwing aside the brush and spitting after it.

"If you live that long," Nyal replied menacingly without a second's thought. His brown eyes seemed to darken in colour with the intensity of his loathsome stare. I hoped the boy felt like his back was on fire.

"You alright?" he asked me, relaxing his grip on the weapon.

"I'm fine." I said. I moved my hand to make sure the wrist was actually okay. No fractures, it seemed. "Nice sword."

"It'll look nicer with that kid's blood on it."

His reply took me off guard. "Prepared to kill someone already?" For some reason, this saddened me slightly.

Nyal shook his head. "I'll never be ready to kill anyone. Him, though, maybe I'll make an exception." He gently took my wrist and studied it. The camouflage was smudged. "That's bad," he muttered.

"Hey," I protested. "You try paint better."

Nyal smiled. "I didn't mean the picture. I meant your wrist."

"Oh." I thought he was talking about the picture. "My wrist is fine."

"You sure?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes," I shoved him slightly. "How much people gave you managed to win over?" I suppose he had an advantage, with his looks and all. His name was one of the most common ones cheered yesterday along with mine.

"Hm, the district eleven kids, they're on our side. Ten and most of nine. But I reckon the others would be able to make the last one see sense, soon enough. It's hard to fight against your own district. District four is against us. They've also persuaded five and six. Seven and eight, I don't know. Zavier and Peyton are working on them. District three are probably with the Careers."

"One isn't," I said. I told him about the twitchy, skinny boy.

"How do you know he isn't a spy?"

"Doesn't seem like the type."

Nyal looked over to where the boy was. He was at a station, fiddling with wire that was supposed to be used to make snares. "Where's the rest of his district?"

"He only had two, remember? But I think his other tribute was the one who suicided. The one who rounded off the numbers to even seventy."

"Hm… I suppose he could be helpful."

"That makes the numbers…?" I was really bad at math. Already, a headache started to form.

"21 against 34," Nyal said, saving me. "15 undecided."

"I've got some news," Peyton said, showing up at our table. "Four, five and six are against us."

I nodded.

"Seven and eight have created their own ally group."

"What? But that's only fifteen of them. They're the disadvantage. The weak link. District four, five and six will go for them first."

"That's what I told them, but they're persistent. The good news is that we have a common enemy."

"For now," I said.

"There's always the risk of us turning against them. And like you said, they're the weak link. But they know we'll go hunting for district four at first."

"Too bad. District seven would have made good allies." They were in charge of lumber. Swinging axes were their life. A good advantage in the games.

Another piece of bad news was that numbers could change. Nothing was set in stone. Especially when the subject was something was gruesome as the Hunger Games.

The rest of the day passed quickly with Nyal by my side. We both had a go at the simulator. The TV screens displayed arena-like environments and actual enemies. The boy from district three came over and managed to change the settings so the enemies looked like the district four, five and six tributes. You had a remote that was like your sword. The boy even managed to change the type of weapon. I practiced with dagger and bow as well as javelin.

Nyal, it seemed, was excellent at hand-to-hand combat. Lean muscled so he was strong, but not so bulky that he was still able to dodge, duck and block nimbly. He defeated a dozen ally tributes and only just lost to the instructor. Peyton pointed out that I was staring at him with my mouth open and my virtual self on the simulator had been killed fifty times over. I threw the remote at her.

During lunch, sandwiches and drinks were brought in. 34 of us allied tributes sat together and ate. Nyal and I mingled with tributes from other districts, but we never left each other's side. Several tributes noticed this, but I managed to steer the conversation from that particular topic. If there ever was a lull in the conversation or an opportunity for the topic to rise, Nyal and I switched to another group.

A couple of tributes stuck in my head. Ni and Noah, of course, who had a very broad knowledge of plants- helpful in the arena- seeming that their district, eleven, was responsible for agriculture. Anh and Zen from district ten- livestock. They knew a lot about animals and common muttations- valuable for any mutts that the Gamemakers might throw at us in the arena. Mira, Saye and Jhara from district nine- close siblings. The unable-to-be-still boy from district three, introduced himself officially as Eal- he turned out to know much more than an average citizen from district three. He knew about systems, security for Capitol's secret files, how to sniff out traps, networks and wiring. We were lucky to have him as an ally.

I also gathered information from district seven and eight. Atim, Antha and Andi, the sisters that were elected leaders of the group, seemed pretty intelligent and kind. They were generous with the amount of information they gave me. I still didn't trust them blindly though. Coming from district seven, they were more than capable of shoving an axe into my back.

I started to slack by the end of it, spending my time at the camouflage table and painting random pictures onto my friends' limbs and faces. Several tributes came over and marvelled at the things I drew, watching on in interest along with the delighted camouflage instructor. They asked me to draw on them too, pictures of different kinds of flowers, animals, symbols. After finishing a picture of an electrical spark between two intertwined wires that Eal asked me to draw, the instructors announced that training was over.

All eight of us were walking back to our floor when we bumped into an Avox carrying a pile of folded linen.

"Sorry," Zavier apologized, picking up the fallen sheets.

The Avox gathered the cloth and stood up. He flinched at the sight of us. We stared, dumbfounded. As usual, it was Zavier who said the first thing. "Finn?"

Finn. The Peacekeeper who had tried to get my friends out. Punished. Unable to speak again. To speak for himself. Stand up for himself. I felt a scream clawing its way out of my throat. The Capitol. You. Ruined. Everything! The harsh truth echoed around in my head.

There went my good day.

**Oooh, anger is building. Will Lanie burst? Aha- I've got little teasers about the following chapters...**

**Next Page!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

The recent discovery of Finn's becoming an Avox left us beaten for days. We took our anger out in training, slashing dummies into pieces faster than the Gamemakers could blink. I didn't let the district four boy bother me anymore. He was just another contender in the games. Another person to kill. Another obstacle.

For five days, we trained like mindless soldiers programmed to do only one thing. Programmed to think only one thing. Revenge. Even if they killed us all, I vowed bitterly that I would have vengeance. I would scream all their wrongdoings to the Capitol, because Finn couldn't. If I was going to die, I might as well go down fighting for the good.

Five days after training, I decided to stay at the Centre a little late. The others went before me. With no one watching except for a couple of Peacekeepers, I had a go with the bows and arrows. Shooting bulls-eye after bulls-eye. Thud. Thud. Thud. I let out my anger with every arrow, imagining every force under the Capitol falling at the sight of it. I began to shoot everywhere, finding a target within less than a second of shooting one.

I shot one of the dummies with five consecutive arrows so fast that the thuds of them hitting it was like a thrum. I found myself lost within the sport, pretending each dummy was some other stupid Gamemaker. Sweat beaded on my forehead. Fury brought back memories. An eruption of remembrance filled my head and voices from other times echoed within the space filled with outrage.

_"It was Teah,"_ Gill said once again, repeating who had betrayed them.

_"Allie died. The treatment didn't work."_ Teah crying, mourning for her lost daughter.

_"Sever all ties and bonds, I'm afraid."_

Zelix was in front of me again. Telling me that he couldn't let my friends go. _"They are forbidden children…"_

_Forbidden children…_ the echoes almost pushed me into insanity.

_Forbidden children…_

_Forbidden… children…_

The tip of my arrow was suddenly directed at Tobias' throat. Recognising Panem's president, I lowered the bow. The Peacekeepers that had just sprung into action relaxed.

"Sorry," I said.

"You are an excellent shooter."

"Thank you, sir."

"Tobias," he corrected.

"Thank you, Tobias."

"You must have a lot of practice in district twelve." He paused. "I won't tell anyone your secrets."

"Yeah, well, I hunt a lot." Another arrow landed with a dull thud into the dummy's heart. "Did you like my costume?"

Tobias grinned. It took years off his young face. "You blew me away. Rica's little trick with the pickaxe gave the Gamemakers a shock."

I smiled quite grimly. "How's your father?"

Tobias sighed and sat down onto the mat used to cushion hand-to-hand combat players. "I'm afraid that he doesn't have much long to live."

"With all of Capitol's riches and smarts, you'd think they'd have medicine to cure him," I said bitterly.

"Yes, that's what I thought too. You know, he disagrees about the Hunger Games. He thinks the one-child policy is getting out of hand."

"Why don't you tell the council?" I asked, a bit surprised. His father? A used-to-be-ruthless-dictator suddenly sympathetic after being struck down by an illness? Suddenly begging for forgiveness on his deathbed?

"They simply won't listen." With shocking speed, his whirled around and kicked the shelf holding weapons to the floor. Swords, daggers and bows clattered to the ground. "They are drunk. Mad with power." He looked me in the eye, tears starting to well up in his. "I don't want to be like them."

"Then don't," I said. "Don't be like them. Do something about the Hunger Games. Like it or not, the council can't just simply ignore you."

"But that's the problem," Tobias said, his words almost a groan. "They are so drunk with their power that if they don't like anything, they get rid of it. Just like the Hunger Games and forbidden children."

"Panem doesn't know that you pity the forbidden children. I don't even think they know how young you are. If they could just see you, know how you feel, tables would turn. You could do what you want about the Hunger Games. You could change the rules. The people would want that to. The council can't ignore one entire nation and its leader, right?"

"They already ignore those who starve," Tobias said resentfully. "Those who beg for safety of their families. They laugh on and go to sleep with bellies full, not listening to those who go to bed with heads full of worries. Tell me, why should they listen this time if they haven't all those years?"

"Tell them that a rebellion is stirring. People won't stop until the Hunger Games are gone. An uprising is about to start. Tell them that."

"Whispers of a fight against the Capitol?" Tobias asked, his voice now a whisper itself.

"Whispers of a big fight. One they can't simply avoid by sending down showers of bombs. A big rebellion that will keep burning their throats until they finally open their ears and listen to the screams of the people." I dropped my bow and arrow onto the pile of weapons and walked towards the door.

"A big rebellion that will bring them _down_," I said unpleasantly.

I left him to ponder that as I went to my room to wash away the sweat and anger from my being.

The days passed. It became routine. Wake up. Dress. Eat. Train. Eat. Train again. Eat. Shower. Sleep. Wake up. Dress…

I found myself getting stronger with every training session. Nyal had given me a few pointers on hand-to-hand combat on the second day. After the week, I was sufficient enough to confidently defeat the weakest and take on others. The strongest, though, would fall to my weapons. I would never be as good at Nyal, but I was okay. At least I could survive a bit without a weapon.

Brutality also grew with every strike. With the fight-simulator, I applied every slash and stab with increased savagery. No mercy for enemies. I found myself slowly changing. Slowly becoming for fierce as more enemies toppled. The only thing that didn't change was my thirst for the Capitol's fall.

My bond with my fellow tributes strengthened. As did with several of my other allies. Ni and Noah, especially. We were all enemies with the same enemy. That drew us closer. But only one could win, and anguish threatened to tear my heart in two every time I looked into the eyes of my friends.

The day that I had been dreading finally came. The private training session.

No one knew what was going to happen. One by one, tributes were chosen and led into the training centre. Because of the number of tributes, the sessions were spread over three days. We weren't allowed to train while the others had their training sessions, so we had two days of freedom. If that was what you could call it.

Racked with nerves, I grasped my father's key. The key to success. Peyton and Nyal stayed beside me until they were called away. I was the last tribute. None of them came back to give me some tips. I was alone.

At the last second, Teah told me to keep my head and not lose it, but if I had to, to lose it completely and eradicate the training room. I nodded and was called.

I tried to prolong my footsteps, but the Peacekeeper beside me took away the chance. I arrived in the training room.

I stifled a gasp. It had completely changed. It was like a jungle had grown overnight. A big, leafy, obscuring jungle that took over the complete floor. Even the temperature was humid and stifling.

A door slid shut behind me, rendering all escape gone. A table of weapons was on front of me. A bow. Arrows. Swords. Daggers. And other gruesome looking instruments of inflicting death. I took the obvious ones, of course, strapping the weapons to my body.

A voice sounded in the room. I flinched as it reminded me of previous Hunger Games.

"This will be a replica of an arena. You must ruin each heart of an obstacle. If not, then a red light will start to blink. After two minutes, the dummy will detonate and explode. You must reach the right door. Then you will be safe. As of now, you are now in danger."

All was quiet. I drew the sword, gripping it tightly. My heart thrummed with adrenaline. I took a hesitant step forward.

As if on cue, a dummy dropped out of the ceiling. My sword sliced it in half before it had even stopped its descent.

I fought my way through the fake jungle. Every now and then, more dummies dropped out of nowhere. My sword cleaved them all in half. When this happened, a small voice in the back of my head warned me that this was too easy.

Sweat began to bead on my forehead. It wasn't because it was hard. The climate was harder.

When I had halved the thirty-eighth dummy, I came across a vine-covered wall. A door knob glistened. My sweaty hand grasped the warm knob. I turned it. Nothing opened.

Confusion swirled within me. I pulled. I pushed. I even swung my sword at it. The supposed door didn't budge. Unless it was the wrong door.

Giving up, I took my hand off the knob. A growl sounded behind me. Just above my ear.

Turning around, I only had time to listen to a smug voice that said, _Didn't I tell you that it was too easy?_

Then the muttation attacked.

I rolled out of the way, just narrowly avoiding its razor sharp teeth. It had been so close that I felt the breeze of his jaws snapping shut on my neck. I managed to get a good look at it. My heart failed as I realised that my weapons wouldn't do the job. The pure metal skin told me that immediately.

It lunged again, I hit the deck and I felt the mutt's breath on my face. The inside of its mouth was pink. But what drew my attention away was the glinting silver teeth, sharper than dagger points. I slammed the blade of my sword against the muttation as a vain attempt to slow it down. A clang sounded. Other than that, the muttation wasn't hurt. Wriggling out from under it, I sheathed my sword and drew my bow. Maybe I could get it through the eyes.

I was still in danger, though. The monster was constantly at my heels. Running in the other direction, for I knew that the door wouldn't open, I found a high tree with a thick trunk. Shoving my bow into the quiver, I seized the lowest branch and swung myself onto it.

I began to climb. Grabbing branch after branch. Climbing higher and higher. The branches thinned and I knew that if I climbed all the way up, they wouldn't take my weight. A roar from below told me that the mutt had arrived. My hand reached out and gripped a branch in front of me. As the wood bent, I realised that I was too heavy. A cry escaped my lips as the limb snapped.

I fell down but my flailing arms managed to snatch at a branch. The mutt roared and shoved the tree. It shuddered. Gripping the bough for dear life, I watched the mutt retreat a few steps and turn toward the tree again. It's front metal leg clawed the ground, leaving deep furrows. My thoughts froze as I realised what it was going to do. Dive at the tree. Make it fall. Leaving me for mutt chow.

Knowing that this would be my last chance, I drew my bow and took aim. Right in the eye. I took a deep breath and released the arrow. The arrow sank an inch deep into the eye before being stopped by a quiet thud. The mutt reared and scratched at the projectile, snapping off half of it with its claws. An inch deep, and that was about it.

This thing was not going to die.

But I would if I didn't move. The monster was only enraged by the pain. As I watched, he bounded towards the tree. I only had one escape. Jump out of the tree before it fell. Maybe break my legs landing. But I'd practiced this. Back in district twelve.

The mutt neared the target and I chose my only option. I leapt out of the tree. I was flying through air for two seconds. My feet hit the ground. My knees would have jarred from the sudden impact, but I let momentum carry me forward. I rolled, twisted around and came up on one knee, my arrow pointed in the mutt's other eye.

With a earth-shaking impact, the tree I had just jumped out of gave a great shake and landed on the ground. Without missing a breath from the tree's fall, my arrow shot forward and impaled the mutt's other eye. It screamed.

The ear-shattering, metallic sound had my hands clamped over my ears. My groan of pain was soundless. The bow clattered to the dirt. A dummy dropped out of a tree in front of me, showing its creepy grin.

The monster still wasn't dead. I fumbled with the bow. Just as I gave up and chose to draw my sword, the red light in the centre of the dummy started to flash. I remembered the note about dummies becoming bombs after two minutes. Maybe I could throw it at the monster and hope it detonates. But the metal skin looked more than capable of protecting it from damage.

Then I remembered the warm breath and the pink insides of its mouth. The mouth! It's weak spot. Right now, the monster was rummaging through the leaves of the falling tree, trying to find my supposed dead body. The red light on the dummy blinked again and again.

This was risky. But what choice did I have? If I ran, I probably wouldn't even find the right door in time.

Stepping in front of the dummy and gripping my sword tightly, I beckoned to the mutt. I waved my sword, yelling, "Hey!" I prayed that the dummy wouldn't explode just right now.

The monster turned around, attracted. It couldn't see me, but it let out a shriek of fury as it realised that someone was still alive. I hadn't taken out its ears. I gnashed my teeth together, trying ignore its mind-jumbling scream.

The mutt lunged and closed the distance between us in two bounds. Fear petrified me in place, and somewhere in my immobilised mind, a voice said, _Crap_.

Then my feet unfroze and I dived out of the way in the nick of time. I watched the mutt gobble up the dummy, letting out grunts of satisfaction.

Great. Time to run.

My legs started moving. On the way, other dummies showed up. I had left my bow, so I sliced them all to ribbons with my sword. My heart was beating frantically, trying to supply all working parts of my body with oxygen. My breath came in giant puffs. Every step, I hoped that I was far enough to live through the coming explosion.

I had no idea where I was running, striking down every dummy without thinking.

The scenery changed. I recognised the lavish decorations of the outside of the training centre. My stupid mind began to comprehend. The door I came in through was the safe way out. Geez, I was dim.

"Open!" I screamed at the glass door, and the Peacekeepers behind it pulled the handle.

Just as the door slid open fully, an ear-cracking noise sounded, followed by a blast of steaming hot air that pushed me off my feet. I felt the sword leave my hand as I was shoved outside the Training Centre.

Gravity took over and I landed roughly, rolling on the marble floor. It took the combined strength of two Peacekeepers to force the door shut. The warm air stopped blowing and I landed on my side. An uncomfortable thing under my thigh told me that the dagger was still there. I unsheathed the dagger to take away the discomfort and lay on the cool marble, breathing hard.

A shadow clouded my vision and I recognised Tobias and Zelix. One looking on in worry, one grinning.

Weary, I asked numbly, "Did I pass?"

**So... what did you think? What score would you give Lanie for bombing the training room? Let me know if you review. Check for an update to find out their scores. Thanks!**


	11. Chapter 11

_**The scores for the private training session are out! Drumroll please...**_

**Chapter Eleven**

Peyton pulled me into a tackle-like hug the moment I stepped foot into the room. It seemed like everyone had been waiting for me. I was slightly singed, my hair messy, clothes caked in mud and smelling of sweat but I guessed that Peyton didn't really care.

"Ouch," I muttered.

"What happened?" Peyton asked, finally letting go. I sat down onto the sofa.

"It was an arena simulation, right?" Zavier asked.

I nodded. "Can I just… take a shower, first, please?" I wanted the water to cool me down.

I could feel the excitement coming from everyone as I took a shower, so I had to hurry. Making sure that I was fully clothed, I went back into the room.

"What happened?" Peyton repeated.

"I went inside the Training Centre and it was like a jungle," I said, describing the entire session as I sat down. I talked in detail about the mutt, ignoring their gasps as I told them about the bomb incident. I could see that my friends bore marks of their brush with the arena-like session, too. Peyton's hair was slightly singed, Kinley had a bandaged arm and others had small scratches and bruises.

"… and after that, Zelix and Tobias couldn't tell me anything, of course, but they had a nurse check up on me. I got given the all-clear and now here I am. How did you all go? I'm curious."

"I had robotic mutts. Like dummies," Zavier explained. "They could move and everything. There were about a dozen of them but they were easy to kill."

"Easy?" Nyal scoffed, shoving Zavier in the shoulder. Zavier winced and rubbed it. "You only managed to kill three of them."

"Seven of them," Zavier corrected.

"I didn't have any mutts in mine," Nyal recounted. "But the ground always shook and trees started falling. Rocks came down out of nowhere as well." That explained the scratch on his cheek.

"In my session, the trees started shooting fire everywhere. Eruption, probably." Peyton absent-mindedly twirled a lock of her singed hair around a finger. "I didn't get burnt but my hair did."

"I had to fight bears," Gill said in his usual grunt. "Five of them. All of them were twice as big as the ones in district twelve."

"For me, it was a hurricane. Not a massive one, but strong enough to knock trees over. One narrowly missed me," Kinley said, rubbing the crisscross scratches on his face.

"I was cornered, with rocks. Landslide, it seemed like. I had to mine my way out before I ran out of oxygen." Vena said stonily.

My heart went out to her. Her father died in the mine collapse, trapped alive. Nobody found him in time. Nobody has. It was like the Gamemakers had given her a flashback of nightmares.

"I didn't have any mutts. Just dummies," Hilton whispered.

"Lucky I could swim, because they rigged up a flood. I managed to make it up a tree and wait 'till the water passed. Then dummies started coming up everywhere," Tammin said.

Mutts. Dummies. Natural disasters. Just some of the things the Gamemakers were giving us. This had been a practice shot. To see how we cope. To know our strengths. To exploit our weaknesses.

"I guess we'll know what your scores are tonight," Teah said. "Do what you want. Get some rest or talk." She stood up, sighed wearily and left the room.

I did too. Two days ago, on the first day of the private training session, I had been exploring the building. Twice, I ran into Tobias. A couple of times, I doubled back because I had spotted Zelix. Somehow, I ended up on the roof. Yesterday I had refined the journey into the shorter route. I took that way there.

The roof was a garden. Green hedges covered the barriers. Plants bearing flowers with spectacular colours were everywhere. In pots. Hanging from vines. Intertwined around garden arches.

Even though the beauty could never match the wild woods of district twelve, it reminded me of them.

I sat among the water lilies floating in the fish pond, my back leaning against the vertical garden. My feet swished around in the pond, scaring away any curious iridescent fish.

Footsteps told me that I wasn't alone.

Nyal grinned at me from behind a berry bush. "I was going to scare you," he said, coming over to sit beside me. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing, really." I watched the fish dart around in the pond. "The Games are days away."

"We're getting our scores tonight."

"And we have the tribute interviews tomorrow. Jam-packed schedule. From killing people comes popularity. Who would've thought it?" I prodded a water lily away using my toe. "What are the odds of making it out without killing anybody?"

"Very slim. Besides, the odds have never been with us from the start."

"It's impossible to just stand by, watching the other last two people hacking each other to death. Then when they kill each other, you become the victor. The first pure winner. The most innocent."

"It's impossible."

"You're pretty negative today," I noted.

Nyal sighed. "It was just a simulation. Yet I barely escaped. What are the odds of me making it out alive? Keeping in mind, like I said before that the odds aren't usually- actually, they've never been for our benefit."

"If everyone is fighting for you to make it out alive, then the odds are huge."

"If everyone dies to make sure I live, I'll never want to. Besides, I'm not the one everyone is fighting for."

"Me?" I picked up a fallen vine leaf and ripped it, scattering the halves across the pool. I watched the fish nudge the pieces curiously. "My mother hates me. I've never been there for the twins. I even failed keeping my father alive. What good am I?"

"If you're trying to protect all of us, you're definitely going to fail to keep us alive."

"I know I can't protect all of you. I only want y- one person to make it out alive." I stuttered on the word. I had almost given away the secret.

"Peyton?" he asked.

I didn't answer.

"If I had one person I'd die for…" Nyal shook his head. "I actually do have one person I'd die for."

"Who?" I asked. I was so still that one of the fish bravely nudged my toe.

Nyal shook his head again. "Ready to look pretty for tomorrow? Got any strategies for the interview?"

"Talk. Try not to spew on the judge. Talk more. Smile."

"Try not to hurt any of the Peacekeepers either."

I grinned. If only I had him with me on the stage, I'd smile the whole way through.

* * *

We gathered in the room waiting for out training scores. I curled up on the couch, hugging my knees and clutching my father's key. Gemini Winter, the Hunger Games host, was addressing the crowd. She was dressed in Capitol fashion, surgically altered. Her hair was orange with black stripes this year, and I had a vague feeling as to why that particular colour was used.

Gemini yammered on, introducing every tribute. At almost every name, the crowd let out an almighty roar. At my name, Gemini's amplified voice was wiped out completely by the sound. Peyton grinned at me from her seat on the floor. Nyal squeezed my hand. Yeah, we were holding hands again.

Zelix was pulled onto the stage. Gemini called out the names again, but this time, Zelix added the player's score. For district three, Eal, he had managed to get an eight out of twelve. The boy's name from district four was followed by the number eleven. Eleven. The crowd loved him. I could tell by the noise.

A few tributes' numbers stuck in mind. Ten for Antha from district seven. For Ni, she had gotten a seven. Little Noah with a six. But the crowd adored him. Who couldn't? The innocence called for cuteness. Most of the other tributes scored fives, sixes and sevens.

Finally, district twelve tributes' names were introduced. Kinley and Hilton scraped an seven. Tammin and Zavier: eight. Gill scored a ten. We high-fived him and cheered. My best friend Peyton had a nine. Vena with an eight as well. Eleven followed Nyal's name. Tied with the boy from district four. I was still grinning and congratulating him when my scores were shown.

My eyes took a while to focus on the two digit number on the screen. Peyton's shriek of delight accompanied my recognition of the number.

The number twelve.

The audience absolutely went wild at the score. Their screams of adoration had the speakers struggling to gain attention again. Teah turned the TV off. Peyton pulled me into a hug. Words of congratulations echoed around the room.

That night, I went to bed buzzing with happiness.

**Aha! What did you think? Were the scores easy to predict? Keep reading, the interviews are coming up!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

"Strategies on the interview," Teah said, pacing the room. She had the air of an army general. "What have we got?"

Rica sat in the corner. She was the best on giving suggestions for what we should do, seeming that she used the knowledge of us to make costumes.

"Tammin," Teah said, "arrogance?"

Rica nodded in agreement.

"Arrogant?" Zavier asked. "That she can do."

Tammin threw a cushion at him. "Bring it on, Hunger Games." She could pull that off easily. How many times have I called her cocky?

"Zavier…"

"Let me guess," Zavier suggested, "talkative?"

Teah smiled slightly. "Play the crowd to your strengths. Try comedy." She turned to Gill. "You, Gill, quiet yet intimidating. Never say more than one word."

Gill nodded, emphasizing Teah's point.

"Hilton and Kinley…" Teah trailed off, thinking. "Well you can't just sit still for ten minutes."

"We'll send them in partners," Rica said. "Zavier with Hilton and Tammin with Kinley to get conversation moving. Also, they'll be less nervous. Gill and Vena."

That left me, Peyton and Nyal.

"Peyton, you are tiny and innocent looking. Keep to that. Nyal, you are the 'heart-throb' of the games. Get the girls to swoon."

Nyal rolled his eyes.

"Right… actually, Peyton, I think you'll sweeten up the interviews with Hilton. Zavier can work with Gill and Vena- can't have a boring conversation. So of course, the last two people- Nyal and Lanie."

"Uh, Rica, can't we work in groups of three? That way, it'll all be even." I cast a desperate look at Peyton like, _Help me_.

"No, that won't work," Rica said, following my gaze. "Besides, word on the street is that you and Nyal are the glamour couple."

I don't know what happened next. I think I choked on my breathing. "W-what?" I spluttered, coughing.

"It'll earn you points," Teah said.

Of course. For her, it was all about the _strategy_. But for me, it would be painful, pretending to be closer, while trying not to let anything spill about my actual feelings, and in the end, either one or both of us will die. It was never a happy ending when the Hunger Games was involved.

"Alright," Rica announced. "Let's get the make-up and costumes on."

We all ascended to the make-over floor. It was the same arrangements, the same people for the same tribute. Mona and Rica whisked me away to the corner, drew the curtain closed and stripped me down.

They only lathered on one solution this time, telling me that the Capitol's showers had helped achieve a smoothness of the skin. I was glad, because the smell of the solution we used last time was extremely foul.

"Are we still doing the tiger thing?" I asked. "By the way, I wish you didn't make Nyal as the same animal."

Rica grinned. She held out a small white box. "In a way, I want to continue the whole tiger-side. It's still inside you, but the human side is coming out for show during the interview. We can't have you trying to maul Gemini to death." Opening the box, she took out two little disc looking things. Thin but curved.

"What are these?"

"Contacts. They change your eye colour. We knew you wouldn't be happy to alter them surgically."

"Could I still see with them on?"

"Of course." Rica pulled up my eyelid and pressed one of the 'contacts', concave side in. Then she did the same with the other. "Look in the mirror."

They hadn't put make-up on yet, so the mirror was still uncovered. For some reason, they seemed stern on not showing me what I looked like. It was me, of course, but the eyes- oh, the eyes. They were like a tiger's. Yellowish gold around the edge and black toward the middle. Rica dimmed the lights and the contacts begun to glow like a tiger's at night.

"Wow," I breathed. "How much did these cost?"

Rica laughed. "We had them custom made. After this, I predict that contacts like these will be made by your fans."

I let out a short chuckle. "I wonder what will happen when I die in the arena."

"Don't say that," Mona chided, applying a thin layer of make-up on my face.

"Only one out of seventy tributes will make it out. I don't have much of a chance, do I?"

None of them had an answer to that.

The make-up wasn't as significant as last time. My arms, legs and chest, though, were powdered by a substance with a shimmery, glittery sheen, so pin-pricks of light seemed to dance when I moved.

Mona finished applying make-up around my eye region as Rica walked in carrying two covered garments. "Am I going to transform again?" I asked, eyeing the pieces.

"Yes. Also, I made the costume to suit the 'energy' topic, too."

"Are you going to tell me what happens _exactly_?"

"No," Rica said with a grin. "But you'll transform if you raise your hands above your head."

"What if I forget and I transform backstage?"

"Oh well." Rica unzipped the garment back and took out part of my costume. A simple white dress.

"Is that it?" I'd been expecting something big and all 'wham'- something like that.

Rica sighed. "You'll see."

I slipped the garment on. It was v-necked and came to almost my knees. While Mona braided my hair to the side, Rica pulled out a silver belt.

"Real silver," Rica said to my astonished stare.

"That could buy a whole year's worth of supplies back home," I said.

Rica secured the belt at my hips just as Mona finished braiding my hair. She secured it with a silver ribbon. Rica unwrapped a round object in linen and revealed a circlet. It wasn't as grand as my belt. Just a dull grey crown.

Rica unzipped the second garment bag and revealed an ashy grey strapless floor-length gown. It came with a lace jacket in a darker shade of grey. I put the two pieces of clothes on.

I realised that the white dress could be seen on my shoulders. "How do we hide this?" I asked Rica.

She simply smiled and put the lace jacket on. It was an illusion. The lace was see-through, but it didn't reveal the parts of the white dress. Taking the jacket off again, I studied the interior. A thin strip of skin coloured material covered where the dress could've been seen. Rica was a genius. Mona slipped my feet into grey heels as Rica placed the circlet on my head.

"That is a really pretty key," Mona commented, motioning to the key on my neck.

"Yes, I based most of the costumes on it," Rica said. "Where did you get it?"

"From my father," I traced the outline of the key, "before he died."

Rica patted my back sympathetically.

"No light-up weapons, this time?" I asked, trying to brighten up the mood again.

"None," Rica grinned. "I don't want you sticking a pickaxe into the host, don't I? I'll get sued. Take a few steps, I want to see if you can walk in your shoes."

As I took a hesitant step, I noticed that the dress was split from my thighs to my hem, so when I placed my left leg forward, my bare leg could be seen. "Rica, my leg…"

"Yes, I know. That's part of the design."

I felt slightly uncomfortable with my left leg showing with every second step I took, but I sucked it in. If I could wear nothing but my underclothes and Nyal's shirt while walking around the building, I could do this for a ten minute interview.

I practiced walking in the shoes, arms out just in case I needed to grab something if I lost my balance.

"Lanie, try not to grimace," Rica advised.

"I'm already trying," I said through gritted teeth. Then my right foot crumpled and I found myself falling sideways.

A pair of warm arms caught me just in time before I could plant my face into the floor.

"Careful, tiger," Nyal murmured into my ear. He helped me stand up again.

"Dumb shoes," I muttered. I clumsily tried to straighten my circlet.

Rica sighed and did it for me.

"You can jump from ten-foot high trees without breaking your ankles, but when wearing heels…" Nyal made 'tsk' sounds.

"Shut up, you wear them," I said, a trace of a whine in my voice. I took the shoes off and held them out to him.

He snorted. "I'll look ridiculous wearing those."

"You already do," I retorted. "I'm kidding." I slipped the shoes on again. "Help me walk, will you? I feel like an old woman."

"You don't look like one."

I looked him up and down. Unlike last time, we weren't wearing the same thing. Nyal had on a simple grey shirt the same shade as my dress, and a vest and trousers the same shade as my jacket. No heels, though.

"What?" he asked self-consciously, noticing my inspection. "Do I look good?"

I rolled my eyes and shoved him aside, heading to where Peyton would be, but my heels prevented me from doing so. He caught me again.

"Damn these cursed heels, how can the Capitol women wear them?"

"Some men wear them too," Nyal said.

I was completely thrown off by this. "What?" I said, snickering. I kept a firm hold on his arm as he guided me to where the others were.

"Finally," Zavier said, "we've been waiting for ages. Did you really need that long to look pretty?"

I noticed that he was wearing a black vest, shirt and trousers.

Rica came out and placed us all in a line. Zavier, Vena, Gill, Tammin, Kinley, Peyton, Hilton, Nyal then me. For some reason, our costumes, starting from Zavier, brightened in colour, with Nyal and I as an exception. The boys were wearing about the same kinds of things, the girls all wore dresses. It was like coal being burnt in a fire, turning different colours. Then into ash, Nyal and me.

Vena's dress was made of shimmering material, the lower half were strips like silken ribbon overlapping each other. But when she moved, she looked like she was being consumed by fire, as the lower-most layers were brighter than the top ones.

Tammin's dress was one shouldered, with an asymmetrical hem decorated with ruffles. Again, when she moved or spun- fire. Peyton's dress was many layered, but not in strips like Vena's. Each layer was a different shade of red. Becoming brighter and brighter the deeper the layer. Also, the layers were made of a see-through material, so she shimmered like flames.

"Okay, remember your teams?" Teah asked.

We all mumbled yeses.

"Now, for the full effect, make sure that you all stay in this order," Rica said sternly. Her expression said, _Or else_.

The five minute wait was the worst. It was introduction night all over again. My palms became sweaty, my stomach fluttered, my toes tapped the ground unnecessarily. Nyal came over and took my hand.

"Calm down, I'm right next to you. Unlike last time," he said soothingly.

Comforted slightly, I gripped his hand. We were all coal on fire. It reminded me of Katniss Everdeen. She was the Mockingjay. The girl on fire. If only she were here, to flunk the Capitol. I suddenly noticed a small square bulge on Nyal's chest where his vest pocket was.

"What do you have in your pocket?" I asked.

"Huh? Uh, nothing," he hurriedly transferred the item into his trouser pocket. I glimpsed a white velvet surface.

Suspicion nagged me but I put it out of my mind.

We were ushered downstairs were the ornately carved doors were. The crowd was so loud I could hear their voices, though slightly muffled. They were having fun out there. A Peacekeeper wheeled in a TV so we could watch the proceedings of district twelve. A petite girl wearing a willowy green dress was talking in murmurs to Gemini. She was holding a little boy's hand. With I shock I realised that the boy was Noah. It was Ni and Noah.

"…will you do in the arena?" Gemini was asking her.

"Protect Noah," Ni said without taking a breath. "I'd do anything for him to make it out alive."

"Now, word from your mentor is that you've become allies with district twelve, and you've become friends with Lanie Quinn. Are you ready to break bonds with her if you have to?"

She didn't hesitate with her answer. "I will never be ready to face up to her in the arena. I've seen her train. But if I have to, for Noah, I will, even if I die trying." Her words made the crowd gasp. Her solemn promise. To kill me if I ever threatened Noah's life. Sadness came over me. So much friendships forged in the heat and desperation of the moment would have to be lost for family. I would do the same too, if I were in her place.

Noah whimpered when he heard her words. In the middle of a question, Gemini stopped as the small 'ding' of the bell sounded, signalling the end of the interview. Another district eleven child took over. Immediately, I knew he was going for the arrogant personality.

I stopped tuning in.

"Are you okay?" Nyal asked, concerned.

"I'm fine. The Hunger Games ruins everything," I said. "I wonder if I'm allowed to say that on live television."

Nyal scoffed. "They'd probably take over with static."

"And bash me to death," I added, thinking about the Peacekeepers' weapons.

"I'd never let them do that," Nyal said coldly.

The suddenness of his vow had me wondering for several minutes.

On the television, Gemini called all district eleven tributes together to take a bow. And just like that, district twelve was called. My district.

"Alright," Rica said, "time to shine."

**What did you think? :) ****Okay guys, stay patient, I've already written the next chapter. It will be coming _very, very_ soon. Keep checking for updates, I will put up more chapter teasers!**

******Thanks for all the reviews, by the way, don't stop!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Funny how short it takes for my heart to start beating really fast. As I stood up, I felt my blood pumping, zooming around my veins and arteries. With Nyal's support, I hobbled over, taking our places in the line.

"Don't worry, the fire won't hurt you," Rica called out after us as the massive doors opened.

"What fire?" I asked, panicking, but my question was drowned out by the crowd. We were backstage, but even so, I could see nine seats for us to sit in. I followed the others out.

At the steps to climb onto the stage and into the sight of the audience, the floor shot out tongues of flickering flame. There was no way else to go but through. All I could think of was, _Oh, that fire_, in a really small thought-voice.

I saw Zavier's chest rise as he took a deep breath and plunge through the fire bravely. Vena and Gill followed. The volume of the crowd rose. I had to admire my friends' courage, and Rica's genius. Coals on fire.

Heart hammering, I scrambled up the steps. A horrible thought came to mind as my foot reached the last step to the flame. What if this turned to real fire as a way for the Capitol to get to me and blame Rica? Before I could start to hyperventilate, Nyal helped me through the blaze.

It was warm, but that was about it. No fire. No pain.

The blast of the crowd's voices as one almost knocked me back behind the stage again. We all stood in a line as Gemini introduced us. Someone backstage turned the microphone up, so her voice was extremely amplified.

We sat in the cushioned velvet chairs.

The TV screen mounted on the building wall acted as a mirror. Once again, I had to thank Rica mentally for her brain.

Black and orange tiger stripes surrounded my eye region, sweeping upwards for the feline look. My eyes still had the contacts in, so only my eyes looked like a tigers'. The split in my dress parted as I sat so my thigh was showing. I hastily covered the exposed skin. Other than that, Rica had managed to make me unforgettable yet recognisable once again.

Zavier, Vena and Gill were called into the spotlight. Zavier was a hero, getting the audience form the start. He managed to squeeze laughs out of them at the end of every sentence. The people loved him.

Tammin and Hilton weren't as lovable as Zavier, but they captivated the people enough so they were disappointed to see them go.

Peyton was adorable. Sweet, innocent. Of course, she was absolutely lethal when she was in the height of a hunt, but her slight frame had a sort of charm. She seemed sweet.

When Peyton and Kinley finished the interview, I realised that it was my turn.

"Welcome Lanie and Nyal, please!" Gemini shouted to the audience. They responded with enthusiastic cheers that made the mutt's metallic scream seem like an unintelligible mumble.

Nyal and I took a seat on the lush purple couch next to Gemini. I never let go of his hand and had no plan to.

"Okay, first things first, I absolutely love your dress!" Gemini gushed.

"Thank you," Nyal cut in, knowing that I wouldn't be able to respond properly. He grinned.

The crowd laughed.

I allowed myself a smile. Cool it, Lanie, start talking. You'll need sponsors. In the arena.

"I love your vest!" Gemini said, directing the comment at me. The crowd laughed again.

"Thanks." Playing along, I decided to add, "don't you just adore Nyal's heels?"

The laughing was louder this time. I ignored my hammering heart.

"Lanie, _explain_. A twelve for training? What did you do?" Her question was followed by sounds of encouragement from the multitude of people watching. Nyal squeezed my hand comfortingly.

"I stayed alive. I guess that earns points, right?"

"Yes. But everyone else stayed alive but didn't get a twelve. What did you do different?"

"Blow up the training room while I was at it. I don't know how that connects to earning points from the Gamemakers though."

More laughs.

"What was life like back in district twelve? How did you end up in the Capitol?"

I had to be careful. No slips. If I gave away that I had siblings here in the Capitol, I'd have asked for Zelix to invite my brother to the Hunger Games as another tribute. "Hard. Especially with all the running around, trying to hide from Peacekeepers, I also had my father to take care of. He was bedridden. That's basically the situation with every forbidden child. Taking care of others, too. My brother slaved away at the mines. I hunted. But when my father died…" I blinked hard. Could my contacts mask the tears that threatened to show? "When my father died, I had to leave. I didn't want to be a burden to my brother, especially, when he had Julia to look after. So I looked for work in the Capitol. I found a job as a maid."

"Right." Gemini placed a hand to her ear, listening to something we couldn't hear. "My sources tell me that your brother is among the crowd in district twelve, watching. Do you have anything to say to your brother?"

Yes. I had a lot to say. I couldn't say them, though. That would give the game away. "Uh, hi." I raised a hand at the camera. Then I placed three fingers of my left hand to my lips, and to the lens. An ancient symbol, used by many. "Be safe. Please be careful. Work hard for Julia and Sarah. Don't waste anything on me when I'm in the arena. Don't cry if I don't make it out. Hold it together for me and Dad, okay? Love you." I cleared my throat as an act to disguise the sound my voice made when it cracked on the last two words.

Gemini, sensing my inability to talk just yet, turned to Nyal. "So, Nyal, tell me about yourself. Everyone wants to know." She winked at him. I suppressed the urge to slap her in the face. Even in my upset state, I was still prone to feeling jealousy.

"I'm the eldest in the family." Simple words. Nothing much of a giveaway.

"Yes, but we've already figured that out. I want to know- _the girls_ want to know- have you got a girlfriend? Maybe a girl that has your heart?"

The crowd is silent after several cat-calls. Waiting. As am I.

Finally, Nyal clears his throat. "Yes. I'll fight to the death to keep her alive."

"Aw, what's her name?" Gemini asked.

Nyal put a finger to his lips, which earned noises of disappointment from the crowd.

"So, Lanie, you took little Julia's place in the Hunger Games, confessing that you were a forbidden child in front of Panem. Why?"

"I-I just didn't want Julia involved in something as gruesome as the Games. She's innocent. I wasn't. I just couldn't stand watching my friends knowing that I deserved to be in there with them, fighting with them."

"Aw, isn't that sweet? Little Julia. Now, I get it that Julia is your niece-in-law?"

"Uh-"

"Actually, Julia is _my_ niece-in-law," Nyal disrupted. He squeezed my hand as a warning.

"Oh," Gemini said, "so you and Lanie _aren't_ cousins-in-law?"

"No, definitely not."

I had no idea where Nyal was going with this.

"I thought that you were her sister-in-law's brother," Gemini said, looking confused. Then her face changed into understanding. "Nyal, don't tell me you two are-"

"No, uh, not yet, actually. Not officially. We didn't get a chance to, especially when Lanie's father died and she had to go to the Capitol. But now, I guess it's my only chance."

Nyal stood up and took out the white box from his pocket. Kneeling in front of me, he opened it, revealing a red velvet-lined interior and…

I gasped. Nyal could never afford a ring like that. Rica had to be involved, somehow, just by the craftsmanship.

The ring was a vine, it's leaves delicate but extremely detailed. It was made of silver. The stems looked like the spiral designs on my father's key. The white diamond was a flower.

I didn't hear the actual question from his lips, or the sound of the crowd cheering and cat-calling. I didn't hear my friends' gasps. I was only aware of my own heart beating. And boy, was it loud.

"Yes," I shouted, though I hadn't meant to. I was suddenly on my feet, without knowing how I got there. Nyal, grinning, slipped the ring onto my finger.

All of a sudden, as the ring reached home, I felt my dress and jacket dissolve in the cool breeze. Like ash scattered in the wind, because that was what we were. Ash.

Glancing at the TV, I managed to feel shock even in my state.

The white gown was now showing. But the fabric was shimmery, beautiful. My arms and face, with the glittering dust was giving off a radiant sheen. My eyes were brighter than ever, thanks to the contacts. The circlet had managed to turn silver.

Nyal too, had changed. White vest, white shirt, white pants. We both exuded an aura of extreme and ultimate power. Absolute authority. No one dared disobey. From coal comes energy, and that was what we were. We were radiating energy like an eternal firework.

The crowd was on over-drive. As Nyal and I sat back down, Gemini pouted.

"Ladies, he's no longer available."

A massive cry came from the multitude of people.

I laughed and leant my head on Nyal's shoulder. I marvelled at how natural it felt. I was allowed to do that now, right? I was a little breathless.

"So… that recent change gets me to my next topic. Costumes. You blew me away when you turned into a tiger last time! Now… people, what about it? Let me take a look."

The people screamed adoration at my dress.

"Nyal, what provoked you into doing this?"

"The Hunger Games," Nyal said. "Only one of us is going to make it out alive. I might as well do something about it."

"Bound for life," Gemini breathed.

"Bound for life," Nyal echoed. The crowd sighed a little.

"Doomed lovers," Gemini said, wiping away a fake tear. As this truth registered with the people, sadness crashed like a wave. Soon, multi-coloured hankies were being brought out of pockets and almost everyone had mascara streaks down their faces.

"Do you have anything else to say?"

I nodded. Taking a deep breath, I began to speak. At first to Gemini, then the crowd, and finally, the whole of Panem.

"Seventy kids are in the Hunger Games," I said. "Some are brothers and sisters," I added, thinking of Ni and Noah. "During my time here, I've become close to them. But in the arena we'll suffer loss we've never felt before, just for entertainment. We'll lose people we love, kill others we hate. We'll lose innocence, and if I manage to make it out, I'll be ashamed to live in the shadows of my friends who spilt their blood on the ground. Their deaths will always be on my mind when the silence of the world is too loud to lull me to sleep. And I don't want to live with that. Yet that's the way it is. In the end, everyone loses something. There's no way to win. Families will mourn. Friends will be lost. The only people who do win…" I locked eyes with Zelix among the cordoned off balcony along with other 'worthy' people. Simmering hate helped me force out the words I was choking on. I let the crowd learn the truth. "The only people who win are the Capitol."

Along with the rustle of the Peacekeepers, the gasp of the crowd is the other sound. Of course, no one can do anything to me, not in public, but almost the immediately, the horror of my words hits me harder than mutt skin. If they can't punish me, they'll punish people I love. My brother. My twins. Julia. My mother. Fear racked me. What if they hurt them for my stupidity?

Nyal and I took our seat next to the others. They were staring at me, open-mouthed. I seemed to be lost for words, unlike before.

Zelix walked onto the stage. I could tell just by his stare that I wasn't going to escape this unscathed. Heck, I wasn't even going to escape the arena. That was certain. I had my own stupidity to thank for that. If replacing Julia's spot was volunteering for a death sentence, then this was pleading for them to make sure they don't forget to impale me twenty-five times.

There was no way to escape this. I was stuck in the web- the Capitol's well-weaved web. Stuck like a fly. The spider was about consume me. The interview was live. There was no way to make an excuse to save my loved ones.

"Citizens of Panem!" Zelix boomed, "I am sure you have all been charmed by this year's tributes, yes?"

Cheers from the crowd.

"Now, even President Hale has decided to speak. Panem, welcome your President!"

There is clapping as Tobias steps into sight. He is wearing a simple black suit. His face is expressionless as he speaks into the microphone.

"This year, the number of tributes has doubled in number. Two years ago, the number of tributes was only a quarter of this size. Based on this note, and to favour citizens of Panem, we have decided to change the rules of this year's Hunger Games."

There were a lot of shocks tonight. But this, by far, is the most surprising. A rule change? Then I remembered our conversation in the Training Room. Could he have possibly succeeded?

"Instead of the usual single victor, we have changed the number."

The words echo in my head. Changed the number of victors? But why-

"There will be four victors!" he shouted. "Two girls and two boys, from any district."

By then, my ability to speak had overpowered my astonishment. "F-four victors?" I stammered.

Tobias finished off with the good night, and when Gemini took the stage, she was bouncing with joy. I would have been too. Because now there was a chance. A bigger chance. Tobias had increased the odds and turned them to our favour. For once, the odds were in our favour.

Nyal and I had a chance to make it out together.

**Oh, can you hear that bomb blast? Aha, did you expect _that_? Let me know in the reviews. And now, it's heating up. Lanie will now be definitely fighting for a way out. But will she survive to be one of the four? :D**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

Of course, the interviews were by far the most controversial thing to happen. The costumes, my against-the-Capitol spiel to the public, and the victor rule change had the people restless for the entire night, including me. I watched them scuttle around and talk in whispers from the height of the building's garden roof. I had ended up there because I wanted to think about my morals. All seemed to have been fighting each other.

So that was how Teah found me, hugging and talking to myself. "Uh, sorry," I muttered to her.

"Don't worry, I do it a lot too," she said, taking a seat. Teah picked up my ring and examined it. "This is beautiful."

"I don't know what to do with it," I admitted.

"Wear it. Show it off to the Capitol. Sell it." Teah paused. "But I think you'd be better off wearing it."

"Rica and her brilliance…" I muttered, shaking my head. I looked at Teah. "Did you have something to do with it?"

"Of course I did. I was the one who suggested it."

"You- what?"

"You should see yourselves. Even back in district twelve, it was extremely obvious. The rest of us aren't blind, Lanie."

"But why?"

Teah sighed. "This is an inevitable fact, Lanie. Anyone could die in the arena. I have full faith in my students, but I have to face that all of you might not make it out. Thank god you are all good-looking forbidden children."

I smiled.

"Because of the guilt I felt for putting you in here, I'm pressured to help you all make it out. Every single strategy- I've thought of it. You remember Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark's star-crossed-lovers tactic?"

I nodded.

"I knew that it would only be convincing with you and Nyal as the 'star crossed lovers'. Because it isn't fake. With Katniss Everdeen? Extreme hassle. But for the two of you- no convincing needed. You can all fight, and thanks to the rule change, the people will be pooling it together to make sure you and Nyal make it out."

"How about the other districts?"

"They have their own mentors. But you seem to have convinced the majority of the tributes over. I would have preferred district seven too, a life of chopping wood would be an excellent advantage in the arena. But you are all trained to survive, ever since birth."

That was true. We've learnt how to learn right on the spot. If you make a mistake, don't do it again. You might not get another chance. Always thinking about effects of decisions. Who would it impact? Would anyone get hurt? Things like that- we were learnt to do as soon as we could walk.

Vena was the group's knife thrower. Near or far, she could nail something as good as I could with an arrow.

Tammin was the female version of Gill. She tackled without mercy, and I don't think she was ever kidding about how she could break necks with her grip.

No one would suspect Peyton to be lethal. But I've seen her in action, in the woods, and I've never doubted she could do anything ever again. She had a gift for spotting and recognising tracks. Following and predicting where they could go, too.

Zavier was a talker, but he was also the swiftest sword-player I've ever seen. Let yourself get distracted for a twelfth of a second, your head would hit the ground before you've notice that you've been decapitated.

Gill- he was a bull, bear, lion, ox, ram, elephant and everything huge compiled to one. He was a massive wrecking ball. Once he rolled, he wouldn't stop.

Hilton and Kinley were dagger wielders. Their petite size was their strength. They could sneak in under your guard and drive a knife into your ribs without noticing. Along with Peyton and I, they were nimble and extremely agile.

Nyal was the master of hand-to-hand combat. Combine the skill with any weapon other than the bow and he was unstoppable.

Me? Excellent with archery. Good with a sword. More than sufficient with knife-throwing. Not bad with hand-to-hand combat. Agile. Nimble. Could climb trees and jump from heights. Wonderful at drawing and singing. Maybe I could paint them to death. A colourful way to die.

"Teah, I'm scared," I confessed in a small voice, watching the glint of my ring's silver in the moonlight.

"Who isn't? Being able to feel fear is a good way to know whether you overestimate yourself. If you're always afraid, then you should believe in yourself a little."

"I'm not too afraid about myself. But what I said at the interview… I said it in front of everyone. What if they hurt my family? What if they k-kill-"

"They won't. Because of what you said, it was more reason for someone to keep an eye on your family. If they suddenly die or show up with bruises and broken limbs, it'll be suspicious. They can't hurt your family, or else they'd have to answer to protests."

"It's all about their reputation, isn't it?" I muttered, not really asking for an answer.

"Lanie, listen," Teah said in a low voice. Something about her tone told me to listen closely. "What you did at the interview- no one has ever had the guts to do. They may swear at the Capitol in their minds, but what you did- that was new. You've given other districts hope that they could fight against the Capitol."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"Rebellion in Panem is a bad thing. Remember the repercussions of Katniss and the berries? War. Lost homes. Lost families. District twelve was almost eradicated. If the Capitol hears a whisper of an uprising…"

"More war. More lost."

"Exactly. We may be strong, but the Capitol is stronger. We must wait when they are weak, and that could take years. But Lanie, you are a symbol of hope for those who have lost it. If you die, hope will die too. This strategy of not wanting to lose hope will help you survive. The other mentors, other than the Careers', now know this. They will get their tributes to help you throughout the arena. No matter what, you can't let things get to you. If your family is hurt, or if one of your friends die, you can't stop. Their death will just be another reason to keep you going."

"What do you mean?"

"Just don't die. Think of this, if you are the person capable- and I know you are- of bringing change to the world for the better, then you can't die. If you do, that change might never come. More deaths will come. Do you get that?"

I nodded.

"Put the ring on your necklace if you're afraid to lose it," Teah said, standing up and turning to leave.

"Okay. Teah, I'm sorry about how I acted. And I'm sorry- about Allie."

Teah nodded. "I understand." She started to descend down the stairs.

"Teah- wait." I stood up too. "I'll try to- but if I don't make it out of the arena, take care of my family, will you? Make sure they're alright."

Teah nodded again and disappeared downstairs.

I sat back down and clutched my father's key. There was a new addition. Nyal's ring. Object of his promise to keep me alive no matter what. I watched the Capitol lights twinkle in the dark, linking the two silver items of importance around my neck.

I didn't leave until dawn came.

* * *

My fingers trembled as they grasped the bow. The thrashing of the mutt in the bushes stopped and my heartbeat quickened. "Careful," I murmured to the others. They nodded and kept their eyes trained on the plantation. Knife, arrow, sword and javelin tips were directed outwards.

Nobody moved. Nobody dared to breathe.

My lips parted in a warning cry as the sound of an weapon whistling through the air registered. Hilton hit the ground just as a spear shot over his head. Gill protected his vulnerability, standing over him with a scowl fixed on his face. His message was clear to any attackers: _I'm more than ready to take all of you on._

A rustle disturbed the stillness of the clearing out of the corner of my eye. Immediately, my arrow hit flesh. The cannon of a death sounded.

No, we weren't in the arena. Not yet. This was just a training session.

There was one more day until the actual Games. This was just last-minute training. We wore specialised suits. Our weapons couldn't kill- only injure. Blunt blades and edges. We were fighting against soon-to-be-Peacekeepers. Training for them and training for us.

We'd been doing this for three days, each time, the arena was different. Each arena never failed to scare the living daylights out of me. We had one hundred minutes and that was it. During each hundred minutes, I gave it my best. I hoped that the arena would crumble at my touch.

The rule change about the victors had given me renewed strength to fight. Before, I had accepted that I wasn't going to make it out. Probably in a hovercraft, lying cold and still in a wooden box, yes. But making it out alive? The odds had never exactly been in my favour. But now, there was that tiny chance. The future wasn't set in stone, that was true. And my future was blurrier than a fogged up window. More unpredictable than a sudden hurricane.

I felt that training would get that future to settle. Even for just a tiny bit. Right now, trying to make it out alive was harder than training a four-legged, paralysed, flesh-eating, long-clawed mutt to juggle twenty water balloons without popping any. Except if it popped one, you die.

I wanted to be prepared more than anything when I got to that arena. I wanted to keep my head when a mutt leapt out to attack suddenly. But how could I? When even simulations like these never failed to invoke panic to my veins?

The training ended with the sound of a buzzer. The usual announcement for weapons to be put back in the proper places came to the speakers. Hanging up my bow for the last time and placing my arrows in the container, I felt my stomach churn for the uncertainty of my future and my friends'.

I retired to my room for a shower. Peeling off the sweat-drenched layers of protective gear, I resorted to thinking about my odds of winning. Yes, they had increased. But by how much? Of course, other people would have been trainer harder like I have because the light of hope had brightened a bit.

The warm water washed the exhaustion off my skin and injected replenishments into my skin. Obviously, dinner would be tense. Even though it always was, this was the day that was closest to being transported to the arena. I tried to be optimistic and find something good about this situation. At least we were safe. And that was about it.

I met up with Nyal outside the room. Since the interview, we'd been practically glued by the hands. The strategy let us gain the sponsors, sure, but it had also helped us gain targets. We'd personally hung bulls-eyes at the back of our heads during the interview. The Capitol had planned everything about the Hunger Games wisely. No way to win.

Four places. Sixty-six people dead. I thought about all the other people who deserved to be in those four places. Ni and Noah. Already, two places gone. Nyal. One spot left. It would be selfish to think that I deserved to be in that last place, so I rebelled against myself into thinking that Peyton should take that last spot. That meant…

Me. Dead.

It was struggle to swallow down the food. I was right. The usually laughter-filled hall was quiet. The only laughs were high-pitched and nervous. Unatural. The cooks seemed to have gone all-out for our last day here. Last supper. It was a bit like they wanted us to celebrate our future deaths and embrace it. Oh, sure. Happy celebration.

Zavier seemed to be struggling to get the conversation moving. Instead, he muttered quietly to Gill. Luckily Gill still seemed to have the patience to put up with him, even today. Tammin was snappier than usual, but that was expected. The only person who seemed to be happy, other than Zelix the cursed Gamemaker, was that guy from district four. Every one of his laughs seemed to end by staring at me and turning to a maniacal sound. I imagined the target at the back of my head doubling in size.

Tobias was quiet. I was grateful to him, for managing to convince the council into voting to maximise victor places. I hoped he would be a private sponsor for my district.

The ally strategy was still working, even if the bonds seemed particularly icy tonight. Like a rubber band stretched too thin. I prayed that it wouldn't snap. Oh, the heck with it. The odds have never been in my favour.

Even with the bonanza of the new rich food, it was tasteless with all the emotions whirling around. The chocolate fountain spurted out different colours of chocolate. But even the magnificence of that was nothing compared.

I speared a marshmallow and shoved it into the waterfall of chocolate. The moment it touched the marshmallow, the chocolate solidified. The chocolate crunched as I bit into it. Again, tasteless.

While everyone returned to their quarters, Nyal and I headed to the roof.

"You seem tense," he said, as we had sat down.

"Do I?" I watched the night wind carelessly toss about a few dry leaves. "Who isn't?"

"The Capitol," he said, without a breath.

"Of course. Aren't they the kind of people who'll cheer us on while we shove a sword blade into someone's skull?"

"I think I know what's making you like this."

"The part where the arena is only hours away?"

"The part where you sever bonds with your allies and hunt them down."

I shuddered. "I'd rather have no allies than do that to them."

"We don't have to sever bonds with Ni and Noah."

That's where the chord was struck. "You would be in Ni's shoes if I hadn't taken Julia's place."

"I'm in Ni's shoes right now."

His reply startled me somewhat. "Don't die for me."

"Don't die for anyone else."

So he knew. He knew that I'd sacrifice myself for his escape easier than I sacrificed myself for Julia. Little Julia.

"Do you want to go solo?" Nyal asked, "hunt by yourself? Like Katniss Everdeen before Peeta Mellark?"

Katniss Everdeen. My idol. "How? The viewers would be disappointed." I twisted his ring around my finger.

"We'll go solo together. That way, no allies."

Again, this shocked me. Was he that desperate for me to be happy? Even in that godforsaken place everyone knew as the arena?

I shook my head. "I can't do that to the others. And Peyton. She'd kill me." I laughed a bit at the last joke.

"No way to win," Nyal accepted. "But I'd die happy knowing I'd helped you make it out alive."

"No," I said. I squeezed his hand and looked him dead in the eyes. They shimmered in the night. "Don't make those vows."

"We're supposed to." He held up our intertwined hands. The ring glistened in the moonlight. "Forgotten already?"

"Never." I hugged him tightly, wishing that nothing could make me let go.

Except for Tobias.

He stood at the entrance to the roof, waiting patiently for our conversation to end. I pulled back, indicating someone else's presence.

"Oh," Nyal said, as he spotted the President.

Tobias drifted closer. He was alone. No Peacekeeper escort. This told me that this was a private conversation.

"You can stay," Tobias said, as Nyal stood up to leave. "I want to talk to you both."

"Tobias, I never got to thank you," I said.

"Thank my father, too. He's betting for you. He'd probably cheer if his situation wasn't that bad."

"Thank him for us."

Tobias smiled. "This will be short. Zelix is suspicious. If he finds out that you helped me bend the victor rule, he'll make sure you'll be killed the second you step foot in that arena."

Nyal squeezed my hand. "Go ahead," I said. "Straight to the point."

"You can tell your friends. I'm not allowed to view the blueprints, but I've found out a couple of clues about the arena."

I nodded, telling him to go on.

"All I know is that the arena is divided into four equal parts, and each parts are different from each other. Seasons, I think. But it is symmetrical. Each trap is mirrored in the other quarters. Zelix has wasted nothing on the mutts and kinds of traps."

"How are the quarters different, then?"

"I don't know. Rica has had a peek at the designs of the arena, and she's made costumes for you. So have the others. Only she can tell you. The other thing I know is that-"

Tobias went quiet, looking over my shoulder.

"Why, President Tobias, I was looking for you."

My blood went cold at the voice. Zelix.

"Congratulations, Nyal and Lanie. Good luck with the arena tomorrow." Tobias shook my hand and Nyal's. Then he met up with Zelix at the entrance, giving no sign that he had helped us.

Zelix shot Nyal and I a look of loathing and menace when Tobias' back was turned. I spoke as soon as the two of them were well away. I kept my voice low, though, just in case.

"Curse Zelix. Tobias didn't get to tell us that last bit."

"Yes he did," Nyal whispered. And he held out his free hand. There, on his palm, as a small square of paper with Tobias' neat writing. Subtly traded during the congratulatory handshake. I made out the words in the moonlight.

_The obvious are not what they seem_.

***Gasp!* The day of the arena is nearing! One more chapter to go! Thanks for all the reviews and the compliments, guys. They really help me keep going. Have an awesome day!**


	15. Chapter 15

_It's the day that no one has been waiting for. The arena._

**Chapter Fifteen**

Nightmares plagued me the entire night. My brain had mentally combined every horrible scene in the fake arenas, to give me the grand finale.

There was Peyton being tackled to the ground by a mutt wolf. A tree falling, shielding Nyal from view. Only after the session did I see that he was whole and well. Acid rain that seeped through our 'waterproof' suits and stung our skin. Poisoned darts that shot out a tree branch aimed for Gill's head. Zavier falling into a pit and missing for the rest of the training. The nightmare ended with the metal mutt from my private session closing its jaws on my shoulder, it's razor sharp teeth sending pain spreading as they penetrated my flesh, even though it didn't happen.

I woke up clutching my shoulder.

A wordless sound escaped my lips as my fingers touched wetness on my skin. Flicking the lamp on, only then did I realise that the moisture was cold sweat. Not my blood. My shoulder was well and intact.

Panting, I leant over the side of the bed and searched for my blanket. My nightmares had forced me to thrash around until I kicked it off. Peyton was sound asleep, her soft snores gave me comfort, somewhat. I didn't feel like sleeping again, especially when nightmares awaited me on the other end of the dream world.

The panel on the wall told me that it was only five in the morning. Plenty of time. Even though rest would be good for me, I didn't want to risk the nightmares- it wouldn't help me get much rest anyway.

I resorted to having an hour long shower. I pressed buttons that I've never pressed before. It resulted in such a rigorous exfoliating session that my skin felt as vulnerable as a newborn chick's. I was also squirted with no less than twelve different kinds of fragrant soap.

It was six in the morning by the time I had finished my relaxation method. I was well and dry in a pair of simple black trousers and a red woollen turtle-neck. Peyton was awake, sitting up in her bed.

"Couldn't sleep?" she asked me.

I shook my head. "Nightmares."

"Tell me about it. But hey, if I die in the arena, at least I won't have nightmares, right?"

"Don't say that," I said.

"But it's true," Peyton said, yawning. "Do you think…" Her words were punctured by a yawn. "Do you think they'll have food this early?"

"Just order some from the panel," I said, motioning to the metal-electric panel in the wall.

I ordered a fruit salad that consisted of nothing but berries, grilled fish, deer stew and a creamy pavlova, with berries scattered around the meringue base. I ordered the berries because they invoked memories of days in the woods of district twelve. Deer because I hunted them. Fish because they were the last resort when we couldn't find suitable catches. The menu didn't offer squirrel. And the pavlova was just an indulgence.

Hunger overtook other emotions, and we scoffed down the food. I ate quickly, letting every spoonful override any fear or nervousness, or else I wouldn't be able to taste.

The others came over. They found us finishing off the last crumbs of meringue. Zavier insisted on ordering through our panel, too. Everyone seemed to be unable to sleep, either, given the fact that we had all gathered by the time the clock reached seven.

We didn't feel like breakfast, but we still went anyway, just to show that we weren't going to give in to fear easily.

I nibbled on fried eggs. Again, a reminder of district twelve.

Of course, when you dread something, time seems to become a whole lot faster. So, it seemed like only a minutes later, that Teah escorted us from the hall to the upper floor where we had our makeovers. No make-up, of course.

Our suits were made up of untearable material. There were the underclothes, and the extremely tight-fitting suit. It was of a thin fabric. It came in one piece, the sleeves came halfway to the elbow, and the all the way to my ankles. For the girls, it was v-necked. It zipped up at the back. For the guys, it was simply semicircular. It wasn't waterproof, but water and sweat evaporated quickly and easily. Zavier proved this when he accidentally tipped a glass of water on his suit. Within a couple of seconds, the fabric was bone dry.

I personally liked the boots. They were up to my knees, and laced up at the back. Made of strong leather, but thick rubber, durable soles that I knew wouldn't wear out in a hundred years no matter how long I used them. The socks were simple cotton.

The belt was also made of thick leather. When unbuckled, it was a length of a metre. It reminded me of Katniss' idea of wrapping the belt around her and a sturdy tree branch, so she wouldn't fall if she moved too much when she slept.

Rica uncovered specialised jackets that she had designed herself. The seams were untearable. The material: durable. It had a hood and zipper. Rica also revealed that it was reversible. She had designed it for any kind of weather that the Gamemakers would throw at us. One side helped cool us down in the hot weather, the other could keep us warm in the middle of the snow storm. It was waterproof. The padded material helped keep cold out and heat in. The soft material kept the heat out and the cold in.

Because of strictly enforced rules, Rica couldn't give us weapons. But she had designed some especially for us and promised us that they would be at the Cornucopia for us to get.

She managed to be able to get away with giving us a bag each. It was small, made of leather and the interior was lined with a waterproof material. Opening it, a mat rolled out made of the same materials of our jackets- reversible. A sleeping bag incorporated into the bag. The bag doubled as a pillow. The strap was a buckle, so it could be undone and tied anywhere.

There was a metal bottle-slash-thermos that could boil water at a touch of a button. A plastic container that could hold anything. A smaller metal box that held little bandages and a vial of medicine that staved off infection for wounds.

We were all set for the arena. All we needed were the weapons.

Mona did up my hair into my usual bun, and it helped comfort me, because I felt like I was only going out for another hunt in the woods.

We did some last minute strategies. We would all be lined up, in who-knows-what order, all racing for the Cornucopia. Obviously, the tributes closest to the Cornucopia's mouth would have the advantage. Gill, Nyal, Zavier and Tammin, being the most physically benefitted, would make sure that me, Peyton, Vena, Kinley and Hilton (being the smallest and so being the fastest) make it to the Cornucopia safely. Any other tributes would be fought off by Gill and the others. Because we had allies, this would be easier, and district seven and eight had promised not to harm any of our allies as long as we did the same. We all had the same enemy.

The refreshments came and went. Every tick of the clock signified another gulp, another tap of the toes, and another squirm of the stomach. Three hours before lunch, a Peacekeeper came and collected us from our room. I never let go of Nyal's hand.

Rica and Teah accompanied us. We were led to a field with waiting hovercrafts. I had never ridden in one before. It seemed to be a cruel irony that had me taking my first ride to my death and my second ride when I was no longer breathing.

We boarded the craft.

No one talked. I looked out of the window and watched other districts climb onto their hovercrafts. A few minutes, and the pilot was given the all-clear. A metal shutter covered all windows, so we couldn't see where we were going.

That was the scariest, being in the dark.

A woman in a lab coat appeared holding a needle in one hand. "This might hurt," she told us. "They're trackers." She took my arm gently and pulled up my jacket sleeve.

The needle sunk into my skin. A stinging prick of pain told me that the tracker had just been injected.

The only thing that stopped me from going insane was Nyal. My grasp on his hand never lessened. We didn't speak. An Avox offered us food and drinks, but we all denied them. No one felt like eating, especially when we were all tinged green.

In about half an hour, I thought I felt the aircraft slow. My breathing quickened. The walls started to spin. I squeezed my eyes shut and lay my head on Nyal's shoulder. I tried to stop hyperventilating.

Nyal's touch on my shoulder told me that we were there. Under the arena. Where we would be if we didn't survive. Under the ground.

The doors slid open into a dark corridor. The only light was dim. A small bulb illuminated a tiny space every metre on the walls and on the ground. A Peacekeeper appeared and attempted to separate my grip on Nyal's hand.

That brought the panic boiling over.

"N-" was all I managed to say, before the grip broke. We were led into separated windowless rooms, all as dark as the corridor.

A tube that could fit only one person was in middle. That would send me up to the arena. I struggled to swallow. I couldn't stop breathing.

The Peacekeeper behind started to shove me towards the glass tube.

"Alright!" I said, somewhat annoyed. I elbowed him in the chest. It felt a little good to be hurting a guard again.

The tube opened and I stepped on the platform.

I felt claustrophobic as the tube slid shut. Teah's voice filled the small space, terrifying me.

"Be careful. Stay vigilant, all of you. Stay together."

I added Tobias' warning to her advice. _The obvious are not what they seem_.

"Be safe."

Her words were still ringing in my terrified mind as the platform started to move upwards.

My breathing was now panting, and my breath fogged up the glass. No. I couldn't look weak.

A space above my head opened, revealing light. After being in a dark space, it made me squint. It obscured my first glimpse of the arena. The place of my imminent death.

I felt the breeze on my skin and knew I was there.

I forced my eyes to focus. Nyal. Where was Nyal?

I was on a five-inch elevated metal platform. The ground was concrete and not what I expected. About a hundred metres away was the Cornucopia. My weapons. My dagger. My sword. My bow and arrows!

The mouth of the Cornucopia was pointed away so I couldn't see the contents. Instead, the mouth faced the blonde boy from district three. Beside him was a tribute from district five, because I didn't remember seeing him anywhere, and-

Nyal!

I almost stepped off my platform, before remembering that the ground was covered in landmines that would blast me to bits if I stood off before the 'go'.

Beside me, where tributes from other districts. Zelix had planned this so I was at a disadvantage. Peyton was next to a taller more intimidating girl from district five. I wanted to swear at Zelix.

A woman's voice echoed in the arena.

"Five…"

I spotted all my other allies. Ni and Noah were separated, and Ni was shooting Noah desperate glances every second.

"Four…"

Zavier caught my gaze and put the thumbs up. I couldn't tell if he was talking or not- I was too far away.

"Three…"

I saw Tammin crack her knuckles and stare at the tribute beside her menacingly. It was probably my imagination, but I thought I saw the tribute wince.

"Two…"

I tried to block out all other things and concentrate on the Cornucopia. My weapons were there. My protection.

"One…"

The cannon went off like a bomb blast, but the sound was muted by my absolute focus.

My feet almost flew off the platform with supreme speed. I raced against other tributes. I didn't check to see if anyone was following our plan. Weapons first. That would give me the well needed edge. Zelix had purposely placed Gill, the only person who had the biggest chance of beating the brutish district four boy using only sheer strength, on the other side of the circle of tributes.

I hadn't even broken a sweat when I reached the Cornucopia, others on my tail. My eyes desperately took in all the weapons, and I gave a start when I spotted a quiver with arrows and a loaded bow. I took that first, along with another quiver full of only arrows. The weapon would be good for distance. Peyton and Vena reached the Cornucopia at the same time, and they pocketed daggers. I seized a sword and shoved a dagger into my jacket pocket.

By that time, others had reached the Cornucopia. Antha, from district seven, grabbed a lethal-looking axe from the pile. She nodded to me, Peyton and Vena. By the time the first enemy reached the Cornucopia, we were all set, having grabbed several weapons for our other allies.

The boy from district five didn't even get to take a pick from the remaining weapons. Antha's axe blade was buried into his back before I could let go of my arrow. His blood splattered the ground. I swallowed hard as a cannon went off.

"Come on!" I heard Peyton call from outside the Cornucopia. I hadn't realised that I had been staring at the boy's broken form.

I ran outside, but my mind kept the image of the dead body on the surface. I only glimpsed a flash of blonde hair, before I felt a pain shoot across my back.

All hell broke loose.

It was some girl from district six. I collapsed onto my knees, as her hands took away my bow and sword. Something kicked me in the back and I fell onto my face. I felt something digging into my stomach. The dagger.

My fingers delved into my pocket and grasped the handle of the dagger. My heart pounded as I realised what I had to do to survive. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes as I heard the sound of my sword being unsheathed from behind. As I felt the girl's hands grab my shoulders to turn me onto my back, I swung around and buried the blade into her stomach faster than a striking cobra.

I pulled the dagger out and rolled away as she collapsed onto the ground. I took back my just-acquired weapons. Those were mine.

Before I could think well about the blood on my dagger blade, I sheathed it and stood up. A cannon went off.

My allies were helping themselves to the weapons. Gill and the others had managed to get the swords and daggers Peyton, Vena and I had gotten for them. But I was immobilised, questioning what I had just done. Nyal rushed forward, took my arm and pulled me into a run.

I didn't know why I was so numb. I heard an enraged roar, quickly fading as our footsteps multiplied. I recognised the voice. Of course, I did. It had been the smug tone of arrogant words in the Training Centre, days ago.

We fled the scene of death, the sound of the cannons heavy on our ears.

**Well, well, well, Lanie and Nyal are still alive. :) Yippee. Zelix must be disappointed. How about you? Find out in the next chapter as to who made it out. Also, don't forget to review- would you kill someone if you were in that situation? What do you think of Lanie killing that girl from district six?**

**More mutts and traps coming up!**


	16. Chapter 16

_Hunting deer? No problem. A gigantic rattlesnake, on the other hand..._

**Author Note:** There's swearing in this chapter... There'll be more swearing, in other chapters too, just to warn you all.

**Chapter Sixteen**

The scenery changed abruptly. From urban grey concrete and nothingness, the world was suddenly full of autumn colours. Trees shed their orange-brown leaves. The air had the feel of heat becoming cool. The atmosphere had the feeling of the summer finally ending. Sad but peaceful.

The trees looked exactly like the woods back home in autumn. Everything had a sunset orange or brown tinge to it. The grass, the leaves, the trunks, everything. It was autumn in the arena.

Our footsteps made rustling sounds on the leaf-littered ground. Around us, leaves fell like snow. Gently drifting towards the ground to join their companions.

I tried to clear my head by shaking it. I had made a vital mistake, preparing myself for the horrors of the arena. But right in front of me was a sheer, marvellous beauty that I hadn't expected. It was distracting. Fatal. Who knew the terrors that beauty hid?

I adjusted my sight on my environment. Instead of seeing the colour and jaw-dropping, picturesque scenery, I held myself to believe that this man-made paradise could kill me as easily as a sharp dagger.

We slowed our steps. I drew my bow, nocking an arrow. No matter what, I had to stay vigilant. I had to be hell-bent on survival. According to our compasses, something that Rica had made, we were heading north-east.

Out of all of the district twelve tributes, only Hilton didn't see the outside of the concrete Cornucopia. Nyal said that he had seen one of the district six boys break his neck as we left.

I felt sickened at the death of one of our own. Tammin and Zavier had saved Ni and Noah from one of the district five tributes. Vena, spotting Eal in trouble, swooped down to rescue him. Gill and Nyal had managed to hold the brutish boy from district four back, but was unable to kill him. We'd made it out, but at a cost. Some of our allies were gone.

So it was just twelve of us wandering around in the arena. Me, Nyal, Peyton, Vena, Kinley, Gill, Tammin, Zavier, Ni, Noah, Eal and Saye. The others were somewhere else. During our flight, we had heard three more cannons. Three more deaths. I wondered who they were.

Zavier had counted seven cannons altogether, including the most recent shots. One of them stood for our friend Hilton. The other represented the one that Tammin and Zavier had brought down to save Ni and Noah. Another signified the death of one of our allies, slain by the boy from four. One of them… murdered by the work of my hand and my dagger blade.

My fingers fumbled with my bow and slipped, clumsily sending the arrow at the ground about twenty feet in front of us. My friends cast me a look of concern.

"Sorry," I muttered, stepping forward to retrieve the arrow.

"I'll do it," Vena said.

She rushed ahead onto a space entirely hidden by leaves.

"Are you alright?" Nyal asked, rubbing my shoulder gently.

"I'm fine."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," I said quickly. I couldn't bring myself to rethink about my actions. "I don't want-"

My sentence was pierced by a shriek.

Immediately, I nocked an arrow, aiming it at the location the sound had come from. Vena stood in the space of leaves, her eyes wide with terror.

"Vena," I said, "what-"

Then she disappeared into the ground.

"Does anyone have rope?" I asked desperately, running forward to grab her flailing arms, which were still visible. I heard Tammin repeat my question to the others. Dismay filled me as I heard their replies.

I took a step into the leaf-covered ground and my foot sank to my ankle. It was so fast that I would have continued head-first, if it wasn't for Nyal. He pulled me back, away from the marsh.

Vena's arms were waving faster than ever.

First Hilton. Now Vena. I didn't want that. My eyes darted around the scene and alighted upon a tree whose branches were thick and long. "Hold this," I said to Nyal, shoving my bag into his hands. Before he could protest, I had swung myself onto a tree branch.

I travelled along the bough until I was above Vena's arms. Momentary panic flared as I noticed that her arms were no longer moving. Had she suffocated?

No, Lanie, don't think about that, I said to myself. As long as the cannon wasn't fired, she was alive.

I straddled the tree limb, wrapping my legs firmly around it so I wouldn't fall. A brief glance at the distance to Vena's outstretched hand told me that I wouldn't reach it. Being a tree climber, I was good at judging distances.

I remembered Rica's metre-long leather belt. I unbuckled it and pulled it from around my hips. Hoping that Vena was still conscious, I kept a firm hold on both belt and tree.

The end of the belt touched her palm.

Please, I prayed. Please, please, please…

Her fingers closed around the belt in a firm grip. Huffing, I pulled the improvised rope up, higher and higher. Vena's head slowly appeared, covered in muck. My fingers struggled to keep a grip on the belt, but I persevered. Soon, most of her torso was out of the deadly marsh.

I held out my hand for her to take.

My friends watched on as I succeeded in pulling her onto the tree limb. She was covered in mud. She wiped the muck out of her eyes and spat out a globule of the dirt. I had to laugh as she grimaced.

"Eugh."

The others relaxed at the sound of my laugh. I buckled the belt around my waist again, this time, strapping the dagger to it. My stomach squirmed at the sight of it, because I knew what coated the blade.

Blood.

Vena and I climbed down, carefully skirting around the patch of leaves. I remembered Tobias' clues about the arena. Four quarters. What if this was one of the quarters? Endless marsh and travel was only possible using the trees?

Eal stepped forward and started to walk around the boundaries of the marsh, prodding the ground in front of him with a long stick before taking a step. We watched his progress.

By the end of it, Eal had drawn into the ground the perimeter of the mud. "It only goes up to here," he said.

"Do you think there's going to be more around?" I asked, slightly relieved that tree-branches weren't the only source of travel.

"Definitely. We're facing Zelix here. But the more we find, the more predictable they're going to be."

"We'll follow you," I said.

Just as we started moving, something silver fluttered to the ground from the sky. I tried to make sense of the cloth being dragged by a silver box, when Eal prodded it with the stick in his hand. He beamed at us, announcing, "It's a gift from a sponsor!"

"Are you sure?" I asked, wary.

"Oh, lighten up," Zavier said, seizing the box and wrenching it open. We held our breath as he stared at the object inside. Then he laughed, throwing the contents of the box into my hands.

Silver rope. I had to see the humour. Grinning, I gave Nyal the length of rope. "A little late," he muttered, putting the rope into his bag. We left, our spirits higher at the arrival of our little silver package. Someone, somewhere, was rooting for us.

Eal led the way, testing the ground before him using the broken-off branch. It was clear for about five hundred metres, there was no sign of people, mutt or trap.

Until later.

"Shh," Peyton said, holding up a finger to stop us. "Did you hear that?"

Peyton had the best hearing out of all of us, so I wasn't surprised when we all shook our heads.

We kept going for a few more steps, but my ears were wider open for any foreign sounds.

"Stop!" Peyton hissed. "There it is again!"

We all looked around enquiringly. There was nothing. I couldn't hear anything out of the ordinary.

"Stop moving," Ni said. "I heard it that time, too."

"Well, what's it sound like?" Zavier asked, making an effort to keep his voice below a whisper.

"Like… a hissing," Ni said haltingly, instinctively pulling Noah closer to herself.

"A rattling, kind of," Peyton added.

"What rattles _and_ hisses?" Zavier asked, I could hear the disbelief in his tone.

"Let's just keep moving," I advised, looking around nervously. "Just in case."

We hadn't taken three steps when something exploded out of my left. Out of reflex, I hit the ground and rolled. When I stood up, my bow was aimed.

At a mutt. Fifty feet long.

Yes. I had seen rattlesnakes before. But nothing this big. This thing was huge. It was like they'd fed a reptile a million steroids. It's tail shook, and the rattle was like maracas amplified twenty times. My hearing said something like,_ yeowch_.

And when did rattlesnakes have razor-sharp golden scales? This thing wouldn't go down to my arrows. It's tongue added another twenty feet to its length, and its fangs were thicker than my arm. They dripped venom that worked like acid on the things that they touched. The leaves on the ground shrivelled on contact.

I shoved the bow into my quiver and drew my sword. Length was good in these situations. I quickly made a list of things to do. Fangs: avoid. Tail: avoid. Scales: avoid. My mind went haywire and told me to run like hell.

Its tail flew towards me. I ducked and swung my sword. It hit its target, but didn't make a dent in the metal scales. Bewildered, as the impact had jarred my arms, I struggled to regain balance and strength. The tail suddenly shifted course and slammed into me.

The breath was knocked out of me. My sword was wrenched from my grip. I was thrown off my feet and into a tree. A cry escaped my lips as I felt a branch pierce the back of my thigh. I fell onto the ground, winded and battered.

"Are you alright?" Nyal asked, suddenly appearing next to me. His sword was out, too.

"Yeah," I said. I grimaced as I put weight on my injured leg. "Don't worry about it, it's only shallow- DUCK!" I screamed, pushing him aside as the tail flew towards us.

Too late, it crashed into me again, and I was sent flying in another direction- away from Nyal. This time, I landed on my stomach. I struggled to breathe.

Something cool soothed the cut on my leg. Looking behind me, I realised that my bottom half had landed in one of the marsh traps. I was already sinking. Grabbing my dagger from its sheath, I stabbed it into the ground and pulled myself free.

Luckily the rattlesnake had hit me to this distance. I was weak, exposed and definitely vulnerable. I could see that my friends hadn't even fazed the rattlesnake. I could see Eal dodging both tail and head, but his eyebrows creased, probably wondering about the best way to defeat it.

Lying on the ground trying to get my breath back, I tried to think up several battle strategies. I came up with none. The best way to survive was to run away from the thing.

Then a shout came up from my left, and several tributes burst from the trees, swinging axes and swords. Amazed, I watched district seven and eight attack the rattlesnake, who was obviously surprised that its prey had multiplied.

That was what we were. Prey.

Andi came over and pulled me to my feet. "Are you alright?" she asked. I noticed blood on her axe blade.

I nodded.

"Your allies have been looking for you," she said, motioning to several tributes that I recognised as Jhara, Anh and more. At least they weren't dead.

Eal yelled out all of a sudden, "This thing isn't real!"

I didn't have the heart to tell him that his statement was pretty damn obvious. Zavier, though (of course), managed to open his mouth just before a dive behind a tree for cover. "Oh, no shit, Eal!"

"No, that's not what I meant-"

Then the tail slammed into him.

He landed several feet to my right. I limped over to him. He was obviously dazed. His straw-coloured wispy hair was messy and his eyes were unfocused as I knelt in front of him.

"Eal, what do I do?" I asked. Any way out would be fine.

"What?" he mumbled.

I shook his shoulders. "Eal! How do we kill it?"

"Control… panel."

My mind flashed back to the metal panel in my Capitol bedroom. Control panel. Was that what it was called? "Where do I find it? Is it here somewhere?"

Eal had lost the ability to speak words. Instead, he pointed to the thrashing snake then tapped his own belly.

Understanding filled me, accompanied by dread. "It's _on_ the snake?"

He nodded.

"Under it?"

Again, he tapped his belly. "Pull lever or switch… buttons?"

"What?" Shaking my head, because I knew it was now no good to coax him into giving answers while he was concussed. I called Jhara over to watch him. Great. How was I supposed to wriggle my way under the snake, avoid being flattened, open the panel and pull the lever. And there might be a dozen other switches to face. A million things could go wrong with that plan, all of them ending with death.

No. There had to be another way to kill this thing.

Wait. Hadn't I faced a thing like this before? A mutt that couldn't be fazed by sword, arrow or dagger? During the private training session, wasn't there a mutt similar to this one? It was the one that I'd killed using the detonated dummy…

Where could I get an exploding dummy? It wasn't like I could walk over to the nearest shop and ask for one.

I looked at my mud covered legs and found an idea. It was a crazy one, but it was one none the less. I spotted Nyal pushing Ni and Noah away from the rattlesnake's tail-range. I ran over to him, suppressing whimpers of pain from the gash on my leg.

"Nyal, where's the rope?" I asked him.

"What are you going to do?" he asked, sweat beading on his forehead.

"I have a plan."

"What-" He suddenly slammed into me and we fell in a nearby tree's protection. The mutt's golden tail passes harmlessly over us. "What are you going to do?"

"Distract it. There's a marsh over there, look," I gestured at my muddied legs, "hopefully it's deep enough to drown the thing."

"Who's distracting it?"

I raised my eyebrow at him. "Give me the rope."

"No," he growled. "Get someone else to distract it."

His over-protectiveness set me off somewhat. "I'm fricking injured, Nyal, I'm not going to just stand here and hope someone else finishes it off."

"We're doing fine- we're handling it," he said fiercely.

"Yeah, that's why it's still alive, isn't it?" I snapped back. Guilt suddenly rose up inside me. But if insulting him was what it took to kill the mutt, I'd do it. I didn't want him fighting the thing any longer.

He took off his bag and shoved it into my arms before pushing me away. Protective fool.

I rummaged through the contents and found the length of rope. It seemed strong. Sturdy. The ends weren't frayed. So I knew, at just one glance, that this wasn't just any ordinary rope. This was Capitol made from man-made material.

I found Peyton dragging a semi-conscious Eal behind a tree.

"Help me," I told her.

Her eyes darted to the rope in my hand. "You better not hang yourself-"

"No, I'm not."

"Well, I don't think hanging the mutt will kill it if that's-"

"Just help me."

The others were keeping the rattlesnake preoccupied. Nyal always seemed to manage to dodge hits from either end just in time, flattening himself against the ground, sprinting behind a tree, ducking and jumping. I would have just stood there, thinking about how good he looked, especially when his eyebrows were creased in concentration. But I had work to do.

Peyton and I found a tree like the one in the marsh trap before, where a thick branch was hovering over the hidden trap. Peyton helped tie the rope around my shoulders and waist. We fed the other end through a fork of a branch higher up. The plan was simple. Peyton, and a few others will hide in the tree. I'll dangle from the branches and hopefully get the mutt's attention. Peyton was to rouse the others, tell them the plan and for them to hide. At that moment, I'd hopefully distract the rattlesnake. Once it dives for me, I'd give Peyton the signal to pull the rope. Maybe I'd make it out on time. Maybe not.

But hey, it wasn't like my life wasn't in danger already, right?

Vena, Tammin, Andi and Zavier offered to help Peyton pull the rope. I was kind of insulted. Did I really need that many people to pull me up? I wasn't that heavy…

I was lowered from the branch, my feet just a couple of metres above the hidden trap. My heart hammered. I gripped the handle of my dagger for reassurance.

"Hide!" Peyton called suddenly, hidden inside the leaves of the trees.

The others obeyed. I saw a glimpse of Nyal's face as he disappeared into hiding. My heart gave a painful squeeze at his expression. Worry.

The mutt stopped attacking, confused by the sudden lack of opponents. "Hey!" I yelled. Its golden eyes turned in my direction.

I swallowed hard. "Are you hungry?" It probably didn't want me as food, but I couldn't come up with anything else.

"Come get it!" I shouted at the mutt. That was about it for my bravado. Any other sound would come out as a really heroic whimper.

Its tail scattered a truckload of leaves everywhere as it turned towards me. Gulp. My breathing quickened as the distance between us closed.

My mouth gave an unintelligible cry. For a painstakingly silent second, nothing happened. My heart almost stopped as I found myself mirrored in the mutt's eyes. It's razor-sharp, venom-dripping fangs dominated my vision. "Pey-"

With an almighty wrench, I was pulled up. The mutt's jaws slammed shut on empty air and it fell into muddy oblivion.

On the branch, I panted, savouring the ability to still breathe in. The mutt's tail flicked splashes of mud and leaves into the air, and was gone. The pit must've been deeper than I thought. I struggled to untie the rope from around my body. My lungs felt restricted, the rope had pretty much squeezed the air out of me.

I felt hands untie the rope for me. Nyal pulled me into a tight hug. "Reckless," he muttered into my ear.

"Protective," I muttered back, but I appreciated his embrace all the same. "I'm sorry, by the way, about what I said before."

"It's fine," he replied.

"And the crowd favourite saves the day," Zavier announced.

"Oh, shut up," Peyton said to him.

The air was suddenly sweet, filled with sounds of laughter. It was nice, to hear something as pleasant as that in the arena.

I recovered my sword and we gathered.

**So... no ally deaths in this chapter. But in other chapters, there'll be more bloodshed. Well, obviously... they _are_ in the arena after all...**

**Keep the reviews coming! :) Thanks for all the support and ideas and everything. You guys have been awesome. More wouldn't hurt, so feel free to PM me and contribute some mutt or trap ideas.**


	17. Chapter 17

_I would have rather pulled myself apart than be apart from Nyal._

**Chapter Seventeen**

Apparently most of the Career tributes had made it out, with only two deaths. Seven and Eight had escaped alright, only a few losses, two. Altogether, thirty-one from our original group had made it out. My favourite allies had also made it through, save for Hilton. Anh and Zen, Mira, Saye and Jhara, Atim, Antha and Andi. For us, three.

Everyone was scratched and bruised, but no one was killed.

Apparently at the Cornucopia, we had split into two groups. Our other allies had run in with seven and eight, and chose to travel together until they found us or the Careers.

For now, our two groups were focused on the Careers, and as long as they were still alive, we were not to go against each other. This was a pact, not to be broken, on punishment of banishment. We weren't to attack each other, or the attacker would be sent away and all bonds would be broken between former allies.

Seven and eight left right after the pact. Because we were such a large group, it would be hard to travel without being detected. We split in half. Initially, I thought to have nine and ten go one way and eleven and twelve go the other. But a boy, I didn't know his name, cut in and began to argue with me.

"How do we know you're not going to go against us and kill your district ten tributes?"

Everyone stared at him incredulously. I could tell just by his tone that if he had been given any other option, he would have taken it. So I figured this was the boy who was giving Peyton a hard time to convince becoming allies with us.

"Well, it's a risk both ways, isn't it?" I replied, trying to keep my cool.

"It's the arena, there's always a risk," he countered savagely. I thought I saw his fingers twitch closer to his sword handle.

Nyal laid a hand on his sheathed sword, it looked like a pretty relaxed and casual move, but it sent a huge warning to any enemies. _Want a challenge?_ "Want me to shut him up?" he asked out of the corner of his mouth.

"No. We can't have fighting between allies. That'll send a bad message."

Nyal shrugged. His hand never left his sword though.

"Fine," I conceded. "We'll mix districts."

At this, every gave a loud collective groan of complaint. It was hard, I realised, to be a leader. Not everyone could be pleased by decisions, no matter how much you change them for that person's content.

"I'm sorry," I said, "but this is because _someone_ isn't convinced of district twelve's loyalty. I don't mean to punish all of you who do have loyalty."

Sixty angry eyes were suddenly glaring at the defiant boy.

"You think you're the leader. But what makes you think you are?"

Peyton spoke up. Her usually childish and kind voice was filled with menace and loathing. "Everyone else here seems to think she's fit."

"Well, I don't."

At this point, I cracked. Yes, I had gone through a very stressful day. A giant mutt. A mud trap. Being in the arena. I didn't want an 'ally' going against me, especially when we had every other thing to fight. This person's stupidity was huge, and someone had to tell him that.

I stepped up to him so we were nose to nose. I was an inch taller than him, so he had to look up slightly. "You don't like my leadership? How about _you_ lead? Let's see how _you_ handle it, with so many lives in your hands and responsibility on your shoulders if anything happens to them. Let's see how _you_ handle having people jumping down your fricking throat trying to question orders that you made to try keep everyone happy. Go on," I challenged. "You be the leader for the day. Let's see how long you last before you break down and cry. Because it isn't fun, having blood on your hands because you have to make sacrifices just to make sure more people live to the end of the day. _You_ try it." My voice was just a deadly, challenging whisper by the end of it. What I said was the truth. In the arena, sacrifices were needed for a bigger victory.

The boy shrank back with the intensity of my stare. One of his fellow district tributes grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "Don't be a jerk, Tauro," she whispered. "Just shut up and let her lead. It's hard enough as it is."

I withdrew back to my space next to Nyal.

"You handled that well," he said, trying to soothe me.

"The idiot deserves a smack in the face… with an axe," Tammin said.

That was heartening slightly, to have Tammin on my side.

"Cool it," Peyton said. "What do we do now?"

"Well, we have to split up. It's good to travel in a large group, but a group this enormous is risky."

"I'll split them in half," Nyal offered.

"No, I'll do it," I said. I wasn't going to let some mindless idiot with attitude do this to me.

I knew most of my allies by now. I knew their strengths, weaknesses and preferences. Seeming that there were thirty-one of us, one group would have sixteen, the other, fifteen.

I wanted to distribute strengths and skills between the two groups.

I started off with district nine. Mira, Saye, Desli and Alice were naturals with a sword. Knowing that they preferred each other's company, I placed Mira and Saye in one group. Desli and Alice went in the other. I had seen Jhara with a couple of spears in the training centre. After her, no dummy was left standing. Tauro, I didn't know much except that I hated his guts, but Saye claimed that he was really good with a sword.

So on it went, until almost everyone had been placed into one of the two groups. When I reached the time to split up my district twelve friends, I was almost on the verge of tears.

Tammin went into one group, Vena went into the other. Kinley and Zavier were sorted. When I came to Peyton, I started to choke.

"I'll go into the other group," Peyton said, knowing what I had to do. I nodded. Smiling, she pulled me into a hug, whispering, "I'll be fine."

Facing the remainder of my friends that I had to separate, I was at a cross-road. Nyal and Gill. "I-"

"We need a leader," Tauro piped up all of a sudden. There was an etch of a grin playing on his lips.

"I'll be your leader," Tammin said, stepping forward. She knew I was in distress.

"You?" Tauro scoffed. "You're too arrogant and proud. That could affect your decisions. That boy," he said, jerking his chin at Zavier, "is too much of a talker. The little girl won't be much of a help, either."

It took all of my effort to keep my thundering emotions under control. The 'little girl', _Peyton_, could easily snap his neck in half before he could blink. Not only was he giving me a hard time on purpose, he wasn't putting faith in any of the people from my district. _My _district. Filthy, stupid, son of a-

"Who do you want to lead you then?" I asked. My voice sounded restricted.

"Him," he said simply, the tip of his finger pointing to one of the people beside me.

My body seemed to go into shut-down as I followed the direction of his finger.

He was pointing directly at Nyal.

"No," I said, so harshly that the word had the effect of the crack of a whip. "I want to keep an eye on you. I'll be your leader."

Tauro laughed. "You? Be my leader? I'll make your life a living hell."

"D'you think I'm not already in hell?" I shouted at him. "It's the bloody arena! Everyone's in hell."

That shut him up for two seconds, at least.

"I'll go, don't worry," Nyal murmured.

"No," I said firmly. "I don't trust him. What if he sticks a knife in your back, or something?"

"Do you think I'm incapable of defending myself?" Nyal asked, feigning a look of just being insulted.

"I don't want you to go," I said, my voice sounded much like a whining child on the verge of a tantrum.

"Don't worry, you've got Gill." Then Nyal pulled me into a tight hug. He quickly murmured words into my ear that couldn't be heard by anyone else. "The crowd will do anything to help us while we're apart."

It was torture, letting go.

"Where do we go?" I asked him. "Where will _you_ go?"

"I don't know. Maybe we'll go around the arena." He lowered his voice. "Remember what Tobias said about it being in quarters?"

I nodded. "If only we had a way to communicate while being separated. To know if either group is in trouble."

"Couldn't we use mockingjays?" Nyal asked.

A flicker, a memory, surpassed my mind during the days of district twelve. Mockingjays. A particularly friendly animal that could mimic tunes and tones of a person. In Katniss Everdeen's time and earlier, they were used as a crude but effective way of communicating. If one ally was on one side of the arena, they would simply whistle a particular tune that the other ally would recognise, as the mockingjays would pass on the tune.

"I haven't seen any in all my time in the trees," I said. "Besides, it'll be too late. Who knows how big this arena is?"

At that moment, something silver landed on the ground with a thud. The two groups panicked and separated. I recognised the silver parachute.

"Another one?" I wondered aloud.

Everyone slowly edged forward again, curiously staring at the object I'd picked up. It was a box. Opening it, I found two hand-length silver devices. Their complicated appearances reminded me of bombs and explosions. I had the urge to fling the package to the ground and run.

Eal flitted beside me, peering into the box. He had woken up from his sleepy daze, thinking that I'd managed to wriggle beneath the rattlesnake and turn it off using the control panel. He picked up one of the devices and studied it closely.

"What is it?" I asked. He was, after all, our kind-of tech expert in the arena.

"An object to communicate with."

"What?"

He placed the other object into my hand. I noticed several buttons on the side. One was bigger than the others and a crimson colour. Another was green.

"Press the red button," he said, before taking a few steps away.

I listened to him, pressing the big red button with a small click. Static suddenly filled my ears, coming from the tiny pin-prick holes in the device. Eal's voice suddenly overrode the static, and I almost dropped the object, startled.

"Eal, how did you do that?" I asked.

"Hold the green button down and say that again."

I obeyed. "Can you hear me?" I asked, feeling slightly foolish talking to a metal object.

"Yeah." Then louder, he said, "Nyal, come here."

Everyone gathered together to look at the two devices.

Eal gave Nyal the silver object. "You can communicate using this thing, I think it's called a transmitter," he said. "Don't lose it. This is valuable. If you hold the green button like this," he explained, "Lanie or whoever has the other one would be able hear you, if the red button is down. The same with the other one."

"Okay," Nyal said. He whispered something into the device and his words came out clear as day through my transmitter. "Smile Lanie, I'm still here."

I nodded. I couldn't smile, though.

"What are the other buttons for?" Nyal asked, examining the buttons on the side.

"I don't know, I haven't figured it out, yet. It's probably Rica's design. But when I do, I'll transmit," Eal promised. "If Lanie's able to let go."

I smiled stiffly, my hand still curled around the transmitter tightly.

"What if the red button isn't down for the other transmitter, and I'm trying to communicate to Nyal? Wouldn't he be unable to hear?"

"Let me see," Eal said thoughtfully, taking another look at the buttons. "Here." Eal pressed a button down and clicked the red button again, so I wouldn't be able to hear messages.

"Nyal, try to say something," Eal ordered.

The device in my hand vibrated so suddenly, my arm shuddered.

"As long as you're wearing it, you'll know when he's trying to get through to you."

I nodded. But that didn't mean I was ready to leave Nyal.

"Alright guys," Peyton said, her voice unnaturally cheerful, "let's go."

I stood there, immobile, watching half the crowd start to leave. My group stood quietly, unsure of what to do. Waiting for my orders. Meanwhile, I was having an internal battle. I had a flashback of a night on the roof, when Nyal suggested just the two of us in the arena, leaving our allies and friends to fend for ourselves. To sever all ties immediately except for one. Our own.

I was seriously considering this.

Peyton flitted out of oblivion into focus, for my eyes were only aware of Nyal. She touched him on the arm and said something that made him turn away to his disappearing group.

Immediately, I was taken forward by my feet. Stumbling, I threw my arms around Nyal's almost retreating being. I felt him turn and hug me back.

"I'll be fine," he said into my hair.

My sob was muffled by his chest. Gill tried as gently as he could to prise my arms from around Nyal.

"Come on, Lanie," Gill grunted soothingly.

Nyal stepped forward once to press his lips to my forehead, then left.

My hands closed on the air that I was choking on, my eyes tired from trying to blink away the tears. I watched him walk away, following in the footsteps his group had gone.

Then he too, was gone.

**I know that this one was a little short of action (okay, a lot) but I promise that next chapter will be a lot more gory. And the next... and the next... well, hey, it is the Hunger Games. More will be coming. Betrayal. Double-crossing. Death. (Obviously.) Pain. Loss.**

**Oh, the joys of the Hunger Games.**

**Note: Next chapter will be in Nyal's view. I wanted to venture out of Lanie's perpective for once. Don't be surprised if future chapters will be set in other views, as well.**

**Another note: My two week school holiday (I live in Australia) just ended, so I'm going to be busy. Sorry if I don't update too often- my teachers don't take it easy on the homework. I will try my hardest to work on this story. So keep up the reviews. :)**

**You are all awesome.**

**Thanks for still reading on...**

**Anyway...**

**:D**


	18. Chapter 18

**Note: This chapter is in Nyal's POV.**

_Dumb bastard deserved a sword in the back._

**Chapter Eighteen**

Walking away from Lanie was the hardest thing that I'd ever done. I was going to make sure to give Tauro, if that was what his name was, hell. Not only was he intent on separating Lanie and I, he was making it harder for every single tribute that I now had to lead.

If I came across any hungry tigers, he would be the first to go.

I wasn't sure where to go, to be exact. All I had on the arena was Tobias' not-so-detailed clues. Four quarters. Seasons. Not so much of a hint on where traps were, but logically, the mutts and traps were probably related to each season.

I wondered what the crowd was thinking. Knowing that the cameras were probably drinking in my emotions as well as Lanie's, I tried to be upset, but not too much. Self-pity wouldn't do any good in here.

My hand never left the transmitter on my belt. Being the only link to Lanie, I was desperate on not losing it. If she was in danger, I would know. If I was in danger, she would know. If I obtained any information on the Careers, I would be able to tell her.

Speaking of the Careers, I was going to keep an eye on that Tauro kid. He could easily leave us and join them instead. If luck was on our side, he would leave, only to be skewered by the Careers who were merciless, especially to us. And the Careers… I wondered where they were.

I hoped some giant bear mutt mauled them all to death.

As for Lanie… she was so reckless it was almost stupid. Tying that rope around herself and asking the mutt to eat her. She might as have well laid herself on the platter, surrounded herself with vegetables and yell, 'free food' for all to hear. Gave me a heart attack, when I saw her dangling from the tree.

I prayed that Gill would protect her when I couldn't. She had the tendency to put her life in the balance when people she cared for were in the least bit of danger. This was the arena. People she knew would eventually die. I didn't want her throwing herself into every trap and mutt to save somebody. It was harsh, but I'd rather them than her.

When fate decides to kill me off, I won't tell her. I won't have her jumping down a mutt's throat to pull me back out. I'm not worth it. All I'm worth for is protection. Protecting Lanie. But that son-of-a-bitch from district nine just couldn't shut his mouth, could he? Giving us a hard time when we're trying hard for him to make it out.

Sighing, I pulled out my compass from my pocket and checked the direction of where we were going. Of course, Zelix might be messing with us and our direction senses, but Rica had designed the needle point to be attracted to only the metal in the core of the earth, something Teah had taught us about.

What if there were other lands other than Panem? Lands without the cursed Hunger Games. Lands without people starving. Lands with equality and good leaders that care.

Things were dim, being in the arena, but if I died, I'd like to be reborn in one of those places. Somewhere with no fear about being killed by children in an arena while being cheered on.

The compass point swivelled to my right. That meant that we were heading west.

For a quiet hour, we walked, weapons at the ready, ears keen and eyes peeled for any danger. I kept my eye on Tauro, feeling especially on edge when his sword point ever pointed in our direction. Screw it. Maybe I should just finish him off and blame it on a mud trap.

"Can you hear that buzzing sound?" Peyton said suddenly.

"It's loud," Tammin noted.

I was still, listening hard. There was a weird whizzing noise coming from somewhere. Thinking that it was possibly a mutt, I looked around to my friends' faces for advice. I realised that their expressions were expectant, like they were waiting for me to give an order. Of course, I was the leader.

My legs were trembling. I didn't know why, seeming that I wasn't at all that scared. There was only a feeling in the pit of my stomach that told me something was wrong. Something dangerous. But still, I'd had it since we'd first landed in the arena. Then I realised that only my right leg was trembling, all the way to my stomach. Glancing down, I noticed that the transmitter was vibrating, creating the tremors on my body. And that was where the buzzing sound was coming from.

More importantly, Lanie was trying to get through to me.

Eagerly, almost childishly, I reached down and pressed the red button, like Eal had told me.

"Lanie?" I asked, nervous.

"Nyal," she said. She sounded breathless. But also relieved.

"Are you alright?" Please be okay, please be okay…

Peyton stepped closer, listening in.

It was quiet for a harrowing moment, then- "Nyal, the Careers…"

Vigilance shot through me like electricity, and I straightened up. My grip on the sword tightened. "What about them? Where are they? We'll get them. We'll come to you."

Her voice cracked. "N-no… Nyal, the Careers, we found one. She said that y-you're in danger."

"What? But we're perfectly fine, here. Do you need help? We'll come as fast as we can-"

"No! Nyal, p-please listen to me. The Careers. They're-"

Her sentence was cut off by a scream.

Suddenly I was shouting. "Lanie! Lanie- are you alright?"

"Nyal!" Peyton yelled. She was pointing at someone on the ground. My eyes honed in on the body on the leaves. The blood.

"Suckers," Tauro said, raising his sword blade.

Understand rippled through me. His sword. It was dripping wet. Red liquid splattered the ground.

I should've finished him off first.

Turning off the transmitter and attaching it back to my belt, I thanked nobody in particular that Tauro was in my group. Not Lanie's. Calmly but determinedly, I stepped forward to my target, swinging my sword.

* * *

The number of seconds it should've taken to break Tauro's neck? One.

The number of allies attacked before I could do it? Three. Including me.

Tauro scowled as I neared. Our swords clashed in mid-air. The sound of striking metal was loud. I didn't pay much attention to anything else. All my attention was on trying to make a cannon sound to his death. Saye wasn't kidding, he could fight well.

He caught me off guard with a rap to the knee- fortunately he'd done it with the flat of his blade. Tauro took the opportunity to seize Peyton, who had been helping the others drag the injured ally to safety, around the arm. He pulled her in front of him, and placed the edge of his blade against her vulnerable neck.

Crap. How was I supposed to kill him now?

"Are you kidding me? You're a frigging wimp- let her go and fight me." I took a step forward.

He noticed. Tauro took a step back and pressed the blade even more firmly against her neck. She grimaced as beads of blood trickled down her skin.

If she died, Lanie was going to kill me.

"Idiot. Do you think she'll stop me from killing you?"

"Nope. But by the time you do. Half your allies will be gone."

So he was planning to finish off everyone else before I could kill him. "You-"

I changed mid-word as I caught Peyton's eyes. They said something like, _distract him- and I'll get free_.

"Look around you. You're outnumbered. I may not be able to kill you. But the others will."

He hesitated. His eyes only found the smirk playing on my lips a little too late.

If you've never seen Peyton in action before, when you do, you better hope she's not against you.

She buried her elbow in his stomach at the same time her hands flew up to his arm. Digging her nails into the flesh, she twisted his arm until she was free. She scampered away after kicking him in the shin, clutching the cut in her neck.

I charged him while he was cursing her, and the fight was on again.

Tauro feinted with a blow to my right and struck above my head. Luckily, I had anticipated it, and I managed to bat it away with the side of my blade just in time. He was thrown off by my sudden block, so I took the opening, hitting him in the stomach with the butt of my sword. Winded, he tried to hit my side, but the attack was weak.

I ducked under the swing. Suddenly, his knee caught me in the gut. I doubled over.

I don't know what else hit me, but I was on the ground, feeling something warm trickling out of my head. Lights flashed in my vision. As they cleared, I found him, standing over me. Grinning wickedly, he raised the sword for the final blow.

And I thought: no, this wasn't the way I wanted to go out. If I was going to die, I was going to die protecting Lanie. I was not going down to this stupid traitor.

I rolled out of the way. Good news: I dodged the blow. Bad news: my sword was gone.

The blade sank through the earth. While he was preoccupied with trying to get it out again, I grabbed a handful of leaves and threw it in his face. Square in the eyes. He spluttered, trying to spit out the dirt.

The fight went hand-to-hand.

It was short. Yeah, he was good with a sword. But without? No chance.

Standing up, I went for a high kick. My foot caught him in the neck, and the sound of the bone snapping was almost sickening. He crumpled to the ground, the thud of his body on impact was drowned out by the cannon that signified his death.

Yeah, that's right, traitor.

Turning away from his lifeless body, I picked up my sword, wrenched Tauro's from the ground, and walked toward the others. Even though he was an enemy that deserved a knife in the gut, I felt slightly bitter at the recent death made by my hands.

Zavier was watching me, sword at the ready.

"Thanks for your help," I muttered, sheathing my sword.

"I was getting ready," he mumbled.

"Ready to what- run for your mommy?" I made my way to where the group had gathered.

The girl that Tauro had attacked, she was in a bad state. Everyone could tell just by a glance. She seemed to be holding her insides in just by her hand, and she was pale. There was hardly any colour in her.

"Can't you do anything?" I asked Tammin.

She shook her head. "The wound is too deep. I'm not a doctor. I haven't got healing hands like Lanie."

Lanie… she was everything. Everything that everyone needed. Everything the rebels needed to strike against the Capitol. Everything I wanted. Everything I lived for.

"I was going to open one of our vials, but I wanted to check with you," Peyton said. The cut on her neck had stopped bleeding.

As everyone stared at me, I felt dread for my answer. She was an ally, someone we needed, but her wound was too serious for a vial. What we needed was a surgeon to stitch her insides back together and in to the right places. That was what we didn't have.

"I-"

"No, don't," the girl said suddenly. Her breathing was laboured and uneven. Her voice was raspy. The air of death clung to her. "Not for me…"

A boy who was clasping her free hand tightly hushed her gently. "Desli, don't tire yourself."

"Why not?" she asked, ignoring the boy's attempts at quieting her. "I'm dying anyway."

"Don't say that," he whispered.

"Come," she said weakly, her eyes on me.

I obeyed. I knelt beside her, but it wasn't enough. I leant toward her, and her bloodless lips moved. Other than the sounds of her lungs struggling to supply her with air, I found words.

"Don't forget… the Capitol… I want you… Lanie… to win…"

"I'll try," I promised.

She nodded. "Back to district nine…"

Her eyes slipped out of my gaze and became glassy. Another cannon sounded, symbolising the last of her breaths.

I stood up as the district nine tributes started to mourn. Unclipping the transmitter from my belt, I pressed the red button and spoke into the device.

"Lanie, it's me. Yeah, I'm fine. But I'm afraid my group is down two members."

**Someone had to finish Tauro off. :)**

**What did you guys think? I'm sorry that I haven't been updating lately, I've just been really busy with school work.**

**Keep going with the reviews- you guys are the best!**

**:D**


	19. Chapter 19

**Note: It's back to Lanie's POV again. **

_I usually hunted squirrels and ate the, so getting attacked by one was definitely a new experience._

**Chapter Nineteen**

Terrified. I was absolutely terrified. The sweat that had beaded up on my forehead began to move down my face. I stared down into the face of an enemy. But I had no intention of killing her. Not that I could. Not when she was helpless and wasn't putting up a fight. We owed her, and even though we were in the arena, citizens of district twelve never ignored the bond we would have if we needed to repay someone. Debt was not easily forgotten, even when paid.

A girl from district five stared back at me.

She was unnaturally pale. When Gill had found her wandering around, bruised and dirtied, we thought that it had been a ploy for us to be charmed by her I-want-to-be-allies-because-my-district-is-heartless antics. So we captured her. Easily. Like I said before, it wasn't like she was fighting back, anyway.

It was Vena's idea, to get information from the girl. That part wasn't easy. It took a threat to send her back to her district missing a couple of limbs, but she let out that Tauro had crossed to the dark side. A secret conversation under the shadows back in the Capitol shortly before the trip into the arena.

I really shouldn't have used that word. The word 'trip' made the arena sound like a vacation.

The moment the words had escaped her lips, I felt my blood freeze. I must've screamed into the transmitter twenty times before Nyal felt it. When he answered, that got my blood thawing out a bit. But when that scream came through, I found myself replicating the high, shrill piercing sound into the transmitter.

"Nyal!"

I had taken it out on the girl.

Grabbing her shirt and shoving her against the tree. "What is he going to do? Tell me! What is he going to do?"

Kill him, she had said. Assassinate my silver lining. Spill his blood. Make sure his heart stopped beating. Never.

So I warned Nyal. I had to. I couldn't lose him. Not to some stupid idiot who turned his back on his friends easier than blinking.

When the transmitter cut off, I went nuts. It took every single one of my allies to calm me down. During my fit, the district six girl just stood there, as if she was waiting for me to cool it and start attacking her again.

Nothing relieved me until Nyal called again.

"Nyal? Nyal? Is that you? Are okay? Answer me."

His voice came through the speakers, into my ears and flowed around my veins.

"Lanie, it's me. Yeah, I'm fine. But I'm afraid my group is down a few members."

"Who?" Please, let my friends still be alive…

"Well, I killed him."

"Who else? Who died?"

"A girl from district eleven. He got to her before me."

"She was the one who screamed?"

"Y-yeah."

He sounded pretty shaken. So I hummed into the transmitter. Just a random, soothing melody that calmed me down as well as him. I heard him sigh.

"I wish you were here."

"Yes. Me too."

All of a sudden, I heard Zavier complain in the background.

"I'm hungry."

I smiled a bit. "Tell him that we all are."

I heard Nyal relay the message. "So, are you okay?"

"Me? You're the one who fought that back-stabbing son-of-a-bitch."

"I'm fine."

I didn't trust him. He seemed to downplay a lot of his problems, like I did, usually. If only I was there to tend to his wounds, if he had some. For some reason, I had a hand for healing, as well as hunting. It was ironic, somehow. Something that Peyton and the others joked about back in district twelve.

"Put Zavier on."

"I told you, I'm fine. Take my word for it."

"I'll take your word for it. And Zavier's. I want a second opinion."

He didn't answer. The person who did, was Zavier.

"Zavier, tell me the truth. What happened?"

"He's fine. He made it through. He's got a cut in his head from the guy's boot, but other than that, he's fine. He's stopped bleeding. Peyton was hit too. Guy tried to use her as a human shield."

"Tried." I laughed. "Peyton is an animal."

"How's your tiger side?"

"Dormant." I thought I heard Vena scoff at my answer. "What happened to Peyton?"

"Cut in the neck, but she's fine. We've put medicine on and she's up and running."

"How about you? Are you okay?"

"I'm hungry."

"I guess that you should eat, then."

"Have you eaten?"

"No. But I think I'll hunt, after this."

If it wasn't for the fact that everyone's stomachs were rumbling louder than I was talking, I would have taken the entire day to say goodbye to Nyal. When I did, I was ruined. But I had to hunt. I was still human, and I needed food.

When I turned the transmitter off, I realised that I still had one more problem.

My allies were talking quietly to themselves in district groups. The girl from district six was standing there, her pale-almost-transparent skin now free of sweat. She looked around nervously. As she caught my eye, Vena held my arm and took me aside.

"What do we do to Miss District Five?" she asked.

"She did tell us about Tauro."

"So? What if she turns on us the same way as he did?"

"Then I'll do the same thing that Nyal did. I'll kill her." My voice has harsh.

"You're going to let her travel with us?"

"She's outnumbered by a lot."

"She could kill us in our sleep."

"I could kill her in my sleep." I looked at Vena. "I know it's hard to trust someone from their district, but we owe her. Remember back then? We don't go back on what we owe. Remember district twelve, Vena?"

Reluctantly, she nodded. "District twelve for life."

I walked over to the girl. She was taller than me by an inch, and her skin was so pale it was almost transparent. See-through. She watched me with wide, shrewd, calculating eyes that were shallow, like I couldn't see right to the bottom because something was blocking the way. Or hiding something. I didn't like it.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Illussia."

Illussia. What an ironic name. "I'm Lanie." I held out my hand, and she shook it. Her skin was cool, not warm like I'd expected. I turned back to Vena.

"Let me guess. Should we keep this from Nyal?" she asked.

"Not a word," I instructed.

"What do we do now?" Gill asked suddenly, his voice the usual grumble of a storm.

"Gather the others. I'd like to hunt."

* * *

Hunting in the arena wasn't the same as hunting in district twelve. There were several noticeable differences.

One: instead of just being hunters, we could easily become the hunted.

Two: it wasn't as safe.

Three: I didn't know the place like district twelve.

Four: I didn't have Peyton.

I hadn't hunted in ages, having had the comfort of being served a meal at the press of a button, but I easily smoothed right back into it. My tread was light. My ears were open. My eyes were peeled. Bow and arrow always at the ready.

I wasn't looking forward to it at first. Mostly because it brought back memories of my last hunt in my district. We'd had such a good catch. But fate stupidly chose to ruin my happiness by taking my father.

Never again.

Fate wasn't in charge. Zelix was. Fate didn't operate with levers, buttons or commands. They happened for a reason. And I thought as I carefully skirted around a tree quietly, I was stronger and much less afraid of death, knowing that my father was waiting on the other side.

Something flitted to the right of my vision. I whipped my head around and found a small animal disappear into the trees. It reappeared half a second later though, falling out of the leaves with my arrow buried in its neck.

Curiously, I walked over and picked it up. I'd never seen the likes of it. It looked like a squirrel, but the tail was long and not as bushy. Its nose was more like a snout. I prodded its cheek. I prised open its lower jaw, and I only managed to glimpse several rows of tiny but razor sharp teeth before they sank through my skin.

It was so fast that I didn't manage to react in time. Pain shot through as its teeth attempted to bite my finger off. I couldn't shoot it. Blood started to pour out of the wound and I lost my head, screaming for help. The others rushed forward, their voices clashing together as they wondered what to do. Finally, I found sense, grabbing my dagger and slicing through it.

The body dropped to the ground and the pressure was released.

Blood continued to stream out of the bite. My finger throbbed. I shook off the creature's head.

"Here," Vena said, rushing forward and applying drops of medicine onto the skin.

It stung a bit. The pain eased but the blood continued to flow. Vena handed me a cloth to wrap around the cut.

Gill kicked the lower half of the mutt.

"What was it?"

"I don't know," I replied, slightly shaken. I stared at the remains of the muttation.

"It looks like a squirrel," Eal said, studying the halved body. "A sharp squirrel."

"It was a mutt," Vena said.

"First animal I've seen in ages and it was a mutt," I said. "How are we supposed to eat?"

"Can't we get help from… you know…" Mira suggested, motioning upwards.

"We can't be sure. Doesn't the value of each gift become more expensive?"

"Yes, but we've only been here for a day."

"Even so, we have to keep moving, I don't know if there are more killer squirrels around here."

On the move, I bandaged the bite, only using the gauze sparingly. Vena nagged me about checking it every half hour for an infection, but I wasn't too worried. The teeth didn't seem so venomous.

I wanted to get out of this quarter. For some reason, the eerie beauty sent shivers down my spine. I just didn't trust the way the leaves fell. So using the compass and Eal as guidance, we headed out of the autumn section.

It was an hour into the walk when the sounds of stomachs grumbling started to be heard. They were hungry. And they needed food.

That was when the parachute drifted down from above our heads. It was so automatic that it was almost funny. The large package landed at my feet.

I bent down and tore open the waterproof plastic as everyone looked on. The moment I opened the lid, a delicious aroma filled my nostrils. The clearing was quiet, even for stomach grumbles. Inside the basket, was a feast.

There was fried rice with herbs, kernels of corn, peas and spring onion. A container packed with fillets of chicken, marinated then barbequed. Next to that, a foil-wrapped, boneless leg of ham. There was a quarter of a wheel-sized block of cheese, and flat bread. A covered bowl filled with different types of berries. Three bottles of different kind of fruit juice. There were whole oranges and apples.

The air was suddenly filled with sounds of celebrating, punctured occasionally by a loud stomach grumble.

"Wait," I said.

My word brought on silence.

"We need to ration this. Next time we might not receive something like this, and who knows? Maybe we won't find anything to hunt in the arena."

Everyone agreed mutely, eyes wide, taking in the food.

They all passed around containers. I had a nagging suspicion that Rica had helped designed their costumes, seeming that they had bags with medicine and containers as well.

All in all, there were thirty-two chicken fillets, the same number of bread rolls, sixteen apples and sixteen oranges. I sliced the ham into sixteen equal parts. Each slice ended up about a centimetre thick. Two centimetre thick slices of cheese came from the one big block. I separated the fried rice into thirty-two handful-sized scoops. I gave them all one chicken fillet and one scoop of rice.

They gave me questionable glances at the food in their containers.

"We need to be prepared for another time," I said.

We ate. I savoured the taste of the rice and the tenderness of the chicken. All too soon, it was finished. My stomach wasn't quite full, but it was enough. All those meals in the Capitol hadn't done me any good. My stomach would have to adjust to small meals like in district twelve again.

I rationed out the rest of the food, strictly telling them to save it, because I wouldn't give them anymore if they ate it all.

I gave them one chicken fillet, another scoop of rice, two slices of bread, one slice of cheese, one slice of ham, one apple and one orange, one scoop of berry salad. They handed me their canteens, and I mixed in the fruit juice. The water would hydrate us, but the sweetness of the juice would be enough for our sugar, and at least we'd get some nutrients from our drinks.

Our bags were a little heavier as well as our stomachs as we set off again. But this time we felt a little bit more energised. I kept an eye out for mutts and some animals to hunt.

On the way, I pressed the big red button and hoped he would answer.

"Nyal?"

**Thanks to Islaymca for the Illusia idea. I promise that everyone else's ideas will be written into my story. Thanks for all the help! And please, please review. Any ideas would be good, but also, I want some feedback. Should I improve anything? Keep checking for updates!**

**I know I've said it a hundred times already, but thank you all! :D**


	20. Chapter 20

**Note: This chapter will be in Zelix's POV.**

_Plan one failed... Time for plan two._

**Chapter Twenty**

I scowled at the girl who dominated the screen. How, after all my meticulous planning, had she even made it through in one piece? It was unfortunate that Tobias-the-President had taken a liking for her, I supposed that it was him who paid for all those extra parachutes. As well as his father, who'd survived that fatal dose of poisoning that the Avox had snuck into his food. Of course, the Avox was punished when all clues pointed to him. They were so easy to manipulate, and their inability to talk helped protect the mastermind of every plot to take over the Capitol.

The mastermind of course, being me.

That stupid girl, the crowd favourite, apparently, had brought about a wave of change that doused all my plans. The moment she'd stepped onto the stage in front of the Capitol, I knew that she'd have a massive impact to me. Not only had the poison failed to kill the old president, she'd given Tobias a voice. Now it would be harder than ever. If only I could finish every single one of them off with a click of a button.

But I couldn't. Questions would be asked. Fingers pointed. Plans exploited. Reputations in tatters. Roles jeopardised.

It would be easier to just press the button and watch the girl die. That ought to get district four a bigger chance. Better than the district twelve scum that were now loved by Panem. But it would also secure that I lose my place from Tobias' trust. How stupid of him to believe my promise. Spare her, he'd said. Don't kill her, he'd pleaded.

My finger twitched reflexively toward the red button. It was a new mutt, one that I'd been itching to try out. On the screen, the girl and her group passed into the spring section of the arena, away from her lover. I'd been successful in separating them. But I hadn't kept my promise to the district nine boy that her lover had killed. Why should I pay his family? He was dead. Not that he could make me keep my promise.

That district twelve boy, though was definitely a problem. If I could kill him, that would topple the girl and leave her unstable and vulnerable. That could leave openings. Press a button to release a mutt and- boom. No more enemies.

"What do we do, Zelix?" Pardige, one of the other Gamemakers asked.

"Leave it to me."

"The audience are thirsty for blood," Cuner, another Gamemaker stated.

"Let them thirst. Patience will be rewarded." It was one of my favourite mottos. My father's favourite too. I had been waiting for so long. All fourty-three years of my life, I'd been waiting for the district-thirteen-ruled Capitol to fall under my power. I wanted the Capitol to succumb. The Capitol was rightfully mine. Rightfully my great-grandfather's before it was taken from him by district thirteen and Katniss Everdeen.

How that red-haired girl in the arena was so much like her. Maybe that was the reason I despised her so much.

The group cautiously travelled, but narrowly avoided one of the carefully laid traps I'd designed. I would have loved to see half of them decapitated if they'd triggered the trap. But that boy from district three was a problem. He was too smart. Just like Rica-the-designer. All of them posed as a barrier to my plan. Not big barriers, they could easily be taken care of, but barriers all the same. I didn't like obstacles.

Speaking of obstacles, Tobias entered the controller room.

"My dear young President, you are forbidden here."

"It's my building."

Not for long. "What do you want this time? More harmless mutts? Less traps? The audience are longing for blood as it is."

"It's not that." Tobias took a deep breath. "I'm afraid my father may not have long to live."

One down, more to go. "Where do I come into that?"

"My father has a death wish."

Momentary panic flared inside me. Had he somehow managed to figure it out? Had the Avox let it through? I should have killed him.

"He wants you in his quarters."

"As you wish, President Tobias." I bowed my head toward him slightly and left for the President's room.

He was in his bed. Obviously, seeming that my man-made poison had properties to paralyse the drinker.

"Zelix," he rasped.

I sat into the leather chaise beside the bed. The man did indeed looked bad. His face was beaded with sweat, his beard was ragged, and he had half of as many hair as he did two weeks ago.

"Sir?" The wretched word made my mouth taste bitter.

"I want you… to promise me something." He struggled to string the sentence together.

"What?"

"Keep the girl… alive."

"Who?" I knew who he was talking about. But I wanted to have a reason to break my promise.

"The girl. From district twelve… Lanie."

"Why?"

"Just do it…" He coughed. "Promise me."

"I promise."

"Promise all of it."

The old man was not going to let go. I glance quickly at the door, to see if there was someone watching. There was, so I couldn't just quicken his life span.

"I promise to keep Lanie Quinn from district twelve alive to the end of the Games."

He widened his pale lips in a weird attempt to smile satisfyingly.

Yes, I'd promise to keep her alive to the end of the Games, but that didn't mean I wouldn't kill her the moment she left the arena.

Point one for Zelix, president- zero.

I'd managed to wriggle out of it. I left the room, planning to find a way to shorten his journey to the afterlife. I arrived at the controller room again, to see that Pardige had turned the arena sky darker. I nodded in approval.

I watched the girl's group travel slowly. It had felt good to see the squirrel mutt attack her, but I wanted more. I craved for more.

"Cuner," I called. "Release the cutterfly."

**I know, I am so sorry. This chapter is short, but now it's the weekend and the homework is light, so I should be able to finish the chapter that I'm currently working on. I promise, it will be a big one, seeming that this one ended with suspense. Keep reading, I'll update in a day or two.**

**And to clarify, Illussia is from district five. She was originally from district six, but I changed it halfway through the chapter, so sorry for the confusion.**

**Thanks for sticking by and being patient, and please review. :)**


	21. Chapter 21

**Lanie's view again.**

_In the arena, everything is twisted._

**Chapter Twenty-one**

Something whooshed overhead like a gust of wind. We'd settled down for the night in the spring quarter, and technically, I was supposed to be on second watch, but I couldn't sleep. Illussia from district five was on first watch, and I was 'supposedly' asleep. I kept my hands around the transmitter. Nyal had sent me a message before we'd set up camp. Apparently he'd been sent a parachute too.

I wanted to see if Illussia could be trusted, seeming that we were most vulnerable during sleep. Beside my transmitter, my dagger lay unsheathed.

The spring section had proved safe so far. Traps were easy to detect, according to Eal, but we'd all probably be dead if I'd been leading. Other than the transmitter and weapons and Nyal of course, he was valuable.

I said a couple of words of prayer when Hilton's picture was shown after Panem's anthem along with other dead tributes. I had gulped when the girl that I had stabbed in the stomach showed up too.

My shoulders were tensed, even though I was lying down, and my ears were open. I kept my eyes strained and focused into the dark, especially when my ears heard something unnatural. I didn't know if Illussia could see the glimmer of my eyes in the night over the dying embers of the fire, but I could certainly see her silhouette that hardly moved.

Her arm suddenly shifted, and moved closer to her body. I pretended to stir, gently moving my head in another direction. As I expected, she paused and her arm moved back into view. I laid quietly, satisfied. No killing here, tonight.

At least the spring section had a couple of bigger animals to hunt. We'd caught two deer.

There was another whoosh, followed by two large thuds that I didn't understand. It reminded me of the rushes of a hovercraft, but I hadn't heard any cannon, so a hovercraft couldn't come and collect any bodies, could they? Unless it was another mutt…

With another whoosh, I decided to do something about it.

"Did you hear that?" I asked Illussia.

"Yes," she said. Her voice was papery soft.

That was all the confirmation that I needed. I strapped the transmitter back to my waist and sheathed the dagger. Reaching for my quiver of arrows and bow, I accidentally nudged Vena.

"What?" she inquired sleepily.

"Wake up," I said. "There's something out there making sounds."

If only Peyton were here, she could identify the noise.

There was another rush, louder and stronger this time. I felt the wind tug my hair. It was _that_ close.

Illussia shone her torch, something her designer had given her along with her district tributes, through the leaves above us. I caught the glimpse of something colourful. As it disappeared, the branches swayed with the sudden gust, and they fell onto us. Something fell onto me, with a harder impact than just a leaf.

It was a large twig with several leaves attached. Confused, I looked at Vena. Then I happened to notice that the end of the twig was a clean break, not like a snapping of a branch, but a slice like a knife through cheese.

Like a knife.

"Wake up!" I screamed.

People stirred. Several looked puzzled at the twigs and leaves on their bodies.

"Get your stuff and leave!" I yelled at them.

I grabbed Ni and Noah by the arms to help them up, shoving their items into their arms. I briefly saw Illussia doing the same to the others.

Gill and Vena were tossing items to their owners.

"Lead them out!" I said to them.

They nodded, encouraging the others to follow them. They had no idea who they were running from, but they listened. I followed the last allies out, pushing them to go faster.

There was a sudden sound ahead that reminded me of times in district twelve, when we sawed through a dead tree of firewood, except the noise lasted half a second.

I only had time to open my mouth to scream warning when the first half of a tree crashed down right in front of Vena, who had halted in her tracks just in time.

"Left!" I bellowed at them. "Keep running, don't stop!"

They obeyed my instructions. Another sound came from above us and I pushed the tributes in front forward, only narrowly missing the falling branches.

On we went, crazily dodging and swerving at my words. Once, I was too exhausted to warn them, but Vena had the smarts to lead them away. Gill scooped up Noah to stop him from tripping over. As time went on, and our footsteps became heavier and night became brighter, our breathing laboured and efforts desperate, I began to realise what the mutt was.

Colourful. Coming from the sky.

I had once marvelled at the colours of the butterfly wing, even drawing any patterns from those who landed on the branches of my tree-house in district twelve. Their wings were so delicate, and I loved the way that they fluttered about carelessly, not causing anyone harm. When we were younger, Thomas and I would sometimes head into the woods and chase them, or wait until one landed on us. I had a picture of a butterfly on Thomas' shoulder, something that I had drawn hastily. Butterflies were so beautiful. Pure. Innocent.

This one wasn't.

It was a giant butterfly, and from the way that it could slice down trees, it had razor-sharp wings that could halve us.

A cutterfly.

I began to notice when the amount of trees thinned and the ground became harder. We were back at the centre of the arena, where the Cornucopia was. We had passed it before, to see if the Careers were here, and when we crossed it on our way to the spring section.

I found an idea as my eye spotted the outline of the Cornucopia. Everyone was tired and we couldn't run forever. The only reason we'd made it out alive was because there were trees tall enough to get in the way.

There were no trees now.

"Keep running!" I screamed, in between a pant. "Into the Cornucopia."

Everyone headed to it.

There was a whoosh and a sound of thuds coming closer.

"Go!" I yelled. "Go!"

Bodies were crammed into the Cornucopia for safety. Luckily it was big enough to shelter us. The mouth of the Cornucopia, I hoped, wasn't big enough to fit the mutt. I heard the clang of its wings try to cut through the metal. But other than that, the Cornucopia seemed undamaged.

The sound of our collective panting bounced off the walls. We were tense. We were so close together that we could feel each other's heartbeat on our shoulders or back.

When I was sure that the cutterfly couldn't get through, and I confirmed the sound of its wings flapping start to fade, I turned to the others.

"Okay," I said. "Head count."

There were sixteen there, including me. There was one person missing. Before panic could take hold, I counted again. I wasn't wrong before. There were sixteen people in the Cornucopia.

"There's one person missing," I said.

"Have you counted yourself?" Vena asked.

"Yeah- I…"

The space was suddenly full of quiet murmuring as they all counted for the number of people.

"You're right, there is one missing," Eal said.

Gill made a small growl in his throat. "Do you want me to check the forest?"

"No. It's still too dangerous."

"Guys, count your district tributes. Who's missing?"

Another round of whispers.

Someone's voice, small and scared, spoke up.

"My sister's missing."

The people parted to reveal the speaker. It was little Noah. His eyes were wide, and the sprint through the forest had seemed to have taken his toll on him. A fellow district tribute was supporting him as he leant sideways. His face was full of sweat.

"Ni's missing?" I hoped that as I spoke, she would appear, tired and breathing hard, but there was only silence as a reply.

I looked out of the Cornucopia, sticking my head out to look at the forest. There was no movement, and even from here, I could see the damage that the cutterfly had made.

There was a small sniffle and a quiet sob. A girl from district eleven knelt down next to Noah and comforted him. I blinked before the tears could show.

"I'll go look for her."

"I'll come too-" Illussia started.

A girl's scream shattered the darkness. A distant whoosh accompanied it. And a cannon ended the second of terror and noise.

I stared in horror at the trees and watched as something fluttered away. Then it was gone. Its job was done.

I closed my eyes, only opening them again to look at the fabricated stars, and knew that Ni's face would be one of those broadcasted tomorrow, like Hilton's had been shown tonight.

**Aww, Noah's crying and Ni is dead.**

**More chapters to come, and I have an idea of how this story will end. Can't tell, though. :)**

**Review please.**

**Oh, and thanks to Xylia Ren for the butterfly-with-razor-sharp-wings idea.**


	22. Chapter 22

_When the sky falls down, it's not a good time for all hell to break loose._

**Chapter Twenty-two**

I dreamt that I was back home in district twelve, in that wooden old shack that was my home. My father was still alive, on his bed.

The house had the dreadful feel of being uncared for. Dust covered every surface, and the floor I was standing on soon had footsteps as I stepped toward my father.

"Dad?" I asked.

He didn't reply. Instead, he faced the other way. Never looking.

"Dad."

He remained still. I reached out, to hold his hand, and touch his forehead to see if he was too warm. His skin was cold. Ice cold.

I found myself holding a blanket, the same kind of blanket that I'd bought for him the day he died, but the colours were all wrong. They were darker and twisted. Instead of a vibrant red, it was the colour of blood.

I placed it on my father.

"Dad, you're cold."

He didn't turn. He didn't speak. He probably didn't even know I was there.

There was a rustling behind me, and as I turned, I spotted a buck with magnificent antlers run past my window. Before I could react, it was gone.

I turned to look at my father, but all I could find was the empty bed and my blanket. I looked around, wondering where'd he'd gone. Had he somehow gotten up and chased the buck?

I crouched to look under the bed. I didn't know why, but I'd thought I'd find him there. In dreams, you were safe, and everything weird made sense, somehow.

There was nothing except the cold floorboards. My hand found empty air. Suddenly, my necklace, the silver key, which had been touching the ground, sped forward, as if attracted by an invisible magnet.

Scared, I pulled away, but the more I resisted, the harder it tugged. Giving in, I decided to move the bed and see where the key led me. It didn't go far, but the tip landed on a floorboard.

Hovering my hand over the board, I felt a draft come up through crack. Prising up the board using my fingernails, it came free. I leant forward to peer inside, and the darkness hit me so hard that I woke up.

I sat bolt upright. The silver key was cool on my chest.

There was a funny rasping sound coming from somewhere, and my first thought was to unsheathe my dagger. I didn't notice that my transmitter was gone. I looked for the source of the sound, and my eyes alighted on a body whose chest was rising up and down, matching the rhythm of the gasps.

Kneeling over the body, I looked into fearful eyes. Mira stared at me. Her mouth was open, and so was a bloody gash on her throat. Her hand was covered in it, as she tried to cover the wound.

I felt a new round of sweat bead up on my forehead at the sight of her.

"Mira? Who did this to you?"

A gurgling sound escaped her throat. Then her eyes closed and a cannon sounded. The others stirred in their sleep. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled. Looking over and mentally counting the resting allies, I noticed that Illussia was missing. I knew it. I had to warn the others.

"Vena-"

Someone closed their hands around my throat and smashed me face-first into the Cornucopia wall. The air escaped my lungs in a rush. A hand grabbed my hair and pulled me backwards so hard, that I was forced to bent back uncomfortably. Illussia's pale face loomed above me. Something cold was pressed against my neck. Her face smiled grotesquely.

"Lanie!" Vena exclaimed suddenly.

Quickly, I was pulled upright. I felt like my hair was being pulled out of its roots. She was behind me, and her dagger edge was digging into my throat. One slice, and I was a goner.

"Move and I'll kill her," Illussia growled.

Vena stayed still. I communicated desperately with my eyes. _Look down. Please, look down_.

Illussia slowly started backing away out the mouth of the Cornucopia. A deep voice, disturbingly familiar, came from behind us.

"Keep walking Sia, you've succeeded. I'll let the others take care of them."

Tributes walked into the Cornucopia, wielding weapons. The flash of a sword reflecting sunlight shocked me into sense. Adrenaline pumped through my veins and I no longer thought about what to do. Survival mode had kicked in.

I snapped my head backward, and I felt the back of my head crash into Illussia's face. The hand pressing the dagger to my throat let it go. I caught her dagger. I brought my foot up and stomped it onto Illussia's foot. She screamed in pain. I caught a glimpse of spikes on the sole of my feet. Rica's genius.

Turning around, I shoved the dagger blade into the first thing I could see. Illussia's chest. She crumpled to the ground. _Boom_ went the cannon. I ran into the Cornucopia, where sounds of death rang through the air.

I sliced into the back of an enemy, and his blood sprayed across my face. Someone grabbed my arm, and on reflex, I cut the hand off. The enemy howled. I kicked her in the face.

I spotted little Noah cowering behind Saye. She was struggling to get in a good blow to her opponent. Rushing over, I buried the entire blade into the guy's back. _Boom._ She gaped as he fell to the ground. Noah whimpered.

I handed him the dagger. "Hold this, okay?" I said to him. "Stab all the bad people who come near you."

The inside of the Cornucopia was a battlefield. I found my pack and quiver. I put them over my shoulder. I drew my sword. I couldn't find the transmitter, but I didn't have much of a chance to be worried. Something pierced my back and I gasped at the sensation of pain shooting across the region. Turning, an enemy with a slightly pleased face stood there, my blood dripping off the tip of spear he was holding.

I swung my sword. It dug into his hip and he collapsed. _Boom_.

Seeing Noah once again, I grabbed his hand and ran out of the Cornucopia. I felt blood seeping through my clothes. It hurt to walk that few couple of steps.

I found myself walking toward that blonde-haired boy from district four. His sword was out, and I could see the dried blood that coated it.

"You're wounded, twelve."

"But I'm not dead," I said. But I was close. I could feel it. I struggled to conceal the despair behind my words.

"Not yet," he said. "Before I kill you though, I should introduce myself. This way, you'll know the name of the last person you'll ever see."

I stayed quiet. There were still sounds of fighting coming from inside the Cornucopia. I would have no help. I let go of Noah's hand and pushed him behind me. I heard his pitter-patter footsteps disappear.

"I'm Keyann," he said. "The guy who'll kill you."

I didn't reply. Blood still continued to trickle down my leg.

"You'll lose," he stated, and he loved that fact. "The tiger will suddenly stop roaring."

Tiger. That's it, Lanie, find the tiger, I thought, as Keyann neared, his sword slowly rising. I watched numbly as his sword tip glinted in the light.

Then I pounced.

I'd seen Keyann fight in the training centre. He was beyond me. The only chance I had was to run and attack when he didn't expect it. So, first of all, I had to become the hunter, from being the prey.

As I sidestepped, I hit his hip with my elbow. He grunted. I then slammed the butt of my sword into his neck. As I tried to run, his hand shot out and grabbed my foot. I fell onto my stomach, winded. I tried to twist around, but pain seared through my wound and I cried out.

No. Never let the tiger whimper.

I kicked out instead, and felt satisfied as the sole of my shoe smashed into his face. I stood up and ran, sending bolts of pain shooting across my back with every step. He followed, his face a contorted grimace, with little cuts made from the spikes under my shoe.

He grabbed my arm just as I reached the back of the Cornucopia. Before I could attack, something small but nimble shot out from behind me. Keyann suddenly shrieked out in pain, and when Noah pulled away, Keyann's face was even more bloody. Even more gruesome, especially with the hole in his face showing that he was now missing an eye. My stomach turned. He growled.

I pulled Noah out of reach of Keyann's sword swing. I parried with my sword and drove him back by pushing. He was blinded by his own blood, and that was an advantage. It was something I needed, especially when my wound hadn't seemed to stop bleeding. Keyann stumbled.

"Noah, go!" I said, pushing him toward the forest.

I raced after him, occasionally tripping over a tree root. My heart doubled its speed, and that meant that more blood was leaving me. Sure enough, a few minutes into the run, my vision began to blur and the forest started to spin. I struggled to open my eyes after every blink.

I made sense of about a dozen figures appearing from the trees, and I was overwhelmed. My next blink became the entrance to unconsciousness.

And the tiger fell asleep.

**Don't you all love cliffhanger endings?**

**Well, at least little Noah made it out alive and safe, three points to him for tearing out Keyann's eye and saving Lanie's life!**

**Should Noah be one of the four people to make it out of the arena?**

**Review and tell me!**

**Also, don't worry, Lanie is still alive. :)**


	23. Chapter 23

_What I did at the Cornucopia makes me wonder if I'm even different to Zelix._

**Chapter Twenty-three**

Everywhere hurt. Physically, mentally and emotionally. It hurt when I thought about Vena and Gill. It hurt when I thought about Nyal. It hurt when I thought about how many people I had killed. It hurt to think. Worst of all, everything just hurt.

When I opened my eyes to see why I wasn't dead yet, that hurt too.

The wound on my back hurt as well. A person who was doused in acid would have felt better than I did. I could feel that it was bandaged. It still hurt though.

Someone's voice reached my everywhere-hurts state.

"You have to eat," they said. "How will you grow up to be big and strong?"

What intrigued me was the way the person was talking. All light and gentle. Who would be vulnerable enough to have to be spoken to like that?

Oh. Noah.

"You were a big boy out there. If you want to be a bigger boy, just eat this."

Silence. I imagined Noah shaking his head vigorously.

I opened my eyes. I was lying in my sleeping bag, my head on my pack. My weapons lay beside me, and above me, were the branches of the trees covered in snow.

Snow.

We were in the winter section.

I forced myself to get up. The result was pain, everywhere. I groaned, earning the attention of the people around me.

I recognised some of them, but not all of them. That was enough to tell me that this wasn't Nyal's group.

Group. Where was mine?

"You're awake," Andi said. She spooned something into a bowl and offered it to me. I shook my head at it. I didn't feel like eating.

"You're just the same as the boy," she sighed, tipping the contents back into a container.

"His name's Noah," I said. My voice was hoarse.

"Really? Since he explained what happened to you, he hasn't said a word. He won't eat, either."

Noah looked at me from across the camp. The dagger I had given him was lying across his lap. I swallowed hard as I remembered that it had been Illussia's.

"He tried to attack us at first. Wouldn't let us help you. Gave us some scratches. But when we convinced him that we were trying to help, he backed away."

Wincing as I got up, I limped to him. I sat back down again, and handed him the bowl beside him that he was ignoring. I spooned some of the food into his mouth. He ate it.

"I guess he only likes you, then," Andi said.

After a couple of spoonfuls, I gave him the bowl. I walked back to my sleeping bag and wrapped myself in. The cold was starting to get to me.

"What happened?" Andi asked. Several other tributes looked over, waiting for me to answer.

"I thought Noah already told you."

"Not much. All we know is that you ran from the Cornucopia and Keyann. The rest we figured out from going there ourselves and getting a peek at the carnage. In the morning, we thought that it was a storm, or something. There were so many cannons."

"You went there?"

"Yesterday."

Her answer shocked me. "I've been asleep for a day?"

She nodded.

"How many cannons did you hear?"

"About a dozen and a couple more. I can tell you who as well. They showed the pictures last night."

"Who?" I closed my eyes for the answer. My breathing felt restricted. Please not Vena. Not Gill. Please…

"Your friends… I didn't see them."

Suddenly I could breathe again. I opened my eyes. "They're alive?"

"Yes. We didn't hear any cannons today, either. But half of your allies are gone. The rest were Careers."

"How many Careers were killed?"

"Five, I think."

Three of those were mine. I was suddenly grateful that I had rejected Andi's food offer. I closed my eyes again.

"Are you okay?" Andi's voice was concerned. "You might be tired. If you eat-"

"No, I can't eat yet." I slipped deeper into my sleeping bag and onto my back. Vena and Gill, they were alive, but they were surely injured. The rest of my allies, gone. I felt sickened at my cowardice, running away and staying alive while I'd left the others to their deaths. What kind of leader was I?

I turned away from Andi and shut my eyes tighter, trying to keep the tears in. But I couldn't. Sobs racked through my body, and pain ran through my veins. I clenched my teeth but didn't complain. I knew I deserved the agony that I was feeling.

My hands grasped my father's silver key. What would he think of me? Was he ashamed? His daughter, a stupid, uncaring, selfish and cowardly leader who depended on a kid half her age to save her life.

I deserved this pain. I deserved this punishment. I deserved my distance from Nyal. I deserved every horror that Zelix was going to throw at me. Was he happy now? He'd finally broken me. I deserved the breakage. Instead of Ni dying, it should have been me in the forest, sliced in half. I deserved it.

I deserved to die.

* * *

For a week, I travelled with the two districts. They welcomed me, but they didn't trust me wholeheartedly, I could feel it. The feeling was mutual.

I threw myself into what I was doing, whether it be feeding Noah, talking to anyone, hunting or practicing my fighting.

Over the week, a couple of cannons sounded, but I didn't dwell on who they were. I would check every night just to see if Nyal's picture would be shown, and when it wasn't, I would sleep easy.

If having nightmares was what you called easy.

Every second of my dreams were filled with reliving every death and shedding of blood. Enemies killing friends. Me killing the enemies. The worst of the dreams, were when my brain mixed them together, so I was killing my friends. It was twisted horror, every night.

I felt I deserved it.

Two parachutes dropping by during the week, but I didn't use any of the items. I didn't feel that I had earned them, and of course, only the Capitol people would be wrecked enough to think I should get them. I gave the parachutes to seven and eight, who accepted the gifts with no questions asked.

I worked on training Noah, who, unlike me, deserved a spot in the four people to make it out. He was persistent, and I liked that. He seemed to have built up a hurricane of hatred and fury against the Careers, and hopefully, Zelix the stupid Gamemaker.

It turned out that he was a natural with the dagger. The sword was too long for him, and the javelin too complicated. The dagger was the right size, and he seemed to like it. He loved to hunt with me, and most of the time, I'd let him kill the prey.

When we encountered a small mutt, I'd give him the honours.

He was building up knowledge to survive, but I was scared that I'd turn him into a killing machine. So one day, in the woods, huddling close to a fire, I told him, "Kill with reason. Never without."

He seemed to grow, not just physically, but mentally, too. When I looked into his eyes, I no longer saw an innocent and quiet child. I saw a sharp and lethal boy that I'd helped make.

Noah was faster than a striking cobra, as accurate as my aim in archery, and smarter than every single boy his age in Panem. For that, I was proud.

The winter section of the arena was challenging, but Rica's inventions were more than enough to withstand the freezing cold. According to Atim, dangerous mutts weren't as common in the winter and summer section, only the climates were the problem.

For a week, I travelled with district seven and eight. For a week, I was distanced from Nyal and my friends. For a week, I punished myself.

I didn't expect the week to end so soon, so when it did, it surprised me.

**Hi everyone! Just a hint: but the story is almost ending, and I've planned what to write in the next chapters, so there's no chance of writer's block. :) But I do promise action-packed chapters, more blood, reunion, torture and obviously, death.**

**The ending will go off like a bomb.**

**And yes... there will be a sequel.**

**Review guys, please!**

**:)**


	24. Chapter 24

_Reunion was sweet. Bittersweet._

**Chapter Twenty-four**

Noah scampered up the tree. I watched patiently, waiting, my bow and arrow at the ready, as she reappeared a couple of minutes later. In his hand, there was a squirrel.

"Success," I said.

He nodded.

Noah had improved so much over the week. I began to doubt his vulnerability more, and I grew more confident that he could defend himself, if I was killed. When I was killed, I should say.

We'd already caught several rabbits and other squirrels. There were also a couple of grooslings that I'd pinned when I found them flying over the trees. For another day, dinner was sorted.

I'd refrained from putting too much effort into hunting. Even steps caused a dull ache to come from my wound.

"Is that the last?" Noah asked, placing the squirrel into his pack.

"Yes. Unless… you want to hunt more?" I asked. One thing I'd learnt from him, was that he loved challenges.

"No. They'll wonder."

He had good judgement. We walked slowly back to our camp. We moved every day or two, just in case anyone was tracking us. After Illussia, and my stupid decision to let her travel with my allies, I wasn't taking any chances. Luckily Andi was more brutal than I was. If she'd been leader of my group, they'd all still be alive.

Stop it, Lanie, I hissed to myself. Nothing you do is going to change what happened.

My vision blurred and I felt the moisture gather in my eyes. I shut them tight. I felt my boot strike something and sensed the world moving, and sure enough, I landed on my stomach, having tripped over a root. The cold on from the ground seeped through my skin.

"Are you alright?" Noah asked.

"Yes," I said firmly, teeth clenched.

As I readied to stand up again, I heard something peculiar. Something familiar.

It was a sort of buzzing. Noah offered me his hand to pull me up, but I waved it away, listening harder.

"Can you hear the buzzing?"

He paused, cocking his head to the side. Then panic flitted across his face.

"Let's leave. I think they're tracker-jackers."

"No," I said. I knew they weren't. Teah had made us engrave the sound of tracker-jackers into our minds after Zavier was stung by one. A year on, he still had the scar.`

"Then what?"

I stood up, dusting the damp leaves off my jacket. The buzzing was still there, but it wasn't continuous. More like a buzz, pause, buzz, pause. Like an alarm.

An alarm.

It wasn't a buzzing, it was a vibrating. Searching the leaves on the ground, I got to my knees, triggering a small twinge of pain, and sifted through using my fingers.

"What are you looking for?"

I didn't answer him, intent on finding what I was looking for. What I had lost a week ago. Along with my friends.

My hands came in contact with something hard and cold, something not of the forest. I pulled the transmitter from its hiding place among the leaves. It was slightly muddied, but still working, judging by the strength of the vibrations it was sending along my arm.

I pressed the red button.

"Hello?"

There was a pause on the other end.

"Lanie?"

I felt the joy spread from my fingertips all the way down to my toes.

"Nyal." I sounded ridiculously breathless.

"Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine."

"Lanie… are you crying?"

"No," I said thickly, wiping my eyes. "I haven't heard from you in days."

"Well, I'm here now. Where did you find the transmitter?"

"Noah and I, we were hunting. I heard it, I found it…" I found the tears running down my face in earnest. "I missed you so much."

"Me too. I missed you."

Then something that didn't made sense came up. "Nyal, who were you calling?" Also, how did the transmitter get here, knowing that I'd left it in the Cornucopia, clutching it as I fell asleep?

"I was calling Vena and Gill. They aren't with you?"

I looked around, finding only Noah and myself. "No, they aren't here. I can't see them."

"They made it out. If you can't find them-"

"I'll look for them."

"No don't. If it means you're in danger."

"I'm finding them," I insisted sharply, then I turned the transmitter off. I felt that I owed my friends this. My brave, brave friends, who fought their way out of the Cornucopia, unlike me, the frightened animal who scurried away.

I stomped toward the opposite direction of the camp.

"Where are you going?" Noah asked.

"Finding my friends."

He followed obediently. "How do you know where they are?"

"Injured people leave tracks," I said, pointing to a disturbance in the leaves that indicated someone passing. I'd spotted it before, but thought it had been some large mutt, only now I noticed the little dots that came from the spikes under the shoes that Rica gave us.

The people who made the tracks were definitely injured. Every couple metres or so, the tracks would appear messed up, like someone had fallen or taken a rest before moving on again. The tracks went in a general direction, not meandering, so they seemed to know where to go.

I found my heart beating harder and faster with every step. I knew I was getting closer.

The track turned abruptly into a cave. These were common. Seven and eight avoided them when we chose new camping sites. They were afraid of any mutts waiting for us to sleep and take their pick. They were made of random piles of rocks, and seemed sturdy. I'd never ventured so far inside one though.

I stepped in front of the entrance, staring into the darkness. It creepily reminded me of a giant's mouth, waiting for dinner.

I placed one foot inside carefully. What if the tracks were actually a mutt's? What if I was wrong?

"Are you sure?" Noah asked.

"No," I replied, then I walked in.

It was dark, and I could hear my loud breathing echoing off the walls. It was quiet except for a sound of ragged breaths.

"Noah," I called. _Noah, Noah, Noah_ bounced off the ceiling and floor.

"Yeah?"

"Pass me the torch." I held out my hand and felt the object being pressed into my palm. I flicked the switch.

I blinked to get used to the sudden light, and I gasped.

"Vena? Gill?"

The tracks hadn't been lying. They were injured. Rather, Vena was. There was a clumsily wrapped bandage around her head, a large red patch staining part of it. She was unconscious, and she seemed to be the one responsible for the ragged breathing. Gill was next to her, back on the cave wall. His eyes were closed. Resting. He seemed fine. At least, there were no bandages visible on his body.

I got down next to him and gently shook his shoulder.

"Gill," I whispered. Noah appeared next to me.

Gill stirred. I shook his shoulder harder. His eyes fluttered open and took me in.

"Lanie?"

I hugged him tightly. He smelt like sweat. I pulled away. "Come on," I said.

Noah and I together pulled Vena to her feet. She was severely concussed, and was unable to make sense of anything. Gill was alright, only tired from the week's journey carrying Vena everywhere.

We walked to camp, Noah and I supporting Vena. Gill seemed interested in Noah's progress to hunter, but something else seemed on his mind.

"How did you find us?" he asked.

"I followed your tracks. I found the transmitter as well, and talked to Nyal."

He nodded. "We were looking for you. After five days, Vena just collapsed. And I couldn't leave her. I'd been rationing whatever we had in our packs."

I felt a massive wave of guilt twist my stomach into knots. Compared to the two of them, I'd been living a comfortable life. Something I didn't deserve.

"Is it just you and Noah?" he asked.

"No. Seven and eight found us."

"She was hurt," Noah added. "She was out for an entire day."

"You look pale," Gill said. "I saw the guy stab you with his javelin."

"Luckily it hit the bone," Noah said.

I gritted my teeth. 'Lucky' was something that I was definitely not.

We arrived at camp to the surprise of district seven and eight.

Andi confronted me with a barrage of questions. "Where did you find them? How did you find them? How did they make it out?"

I waved her off and started to skin our catch. Noah and several others helped. I gutted the animals and tossed them into a pot (a gift from a sponsor) over the fire. While they cooked, filling the camp with their meaty aroma, I tended to Vena's wounds. It wasn't too deep, but left untreated, it had bled a lot, the hasty bandaging hadn't helped either.

I unwrapped the gauze and placed it in a container filled with water to soak. I used the remaining clean bandage that I had. I washed the wound, careful not to open the cut again. I added a couple drops of medicine and wrapped her head again, a little firmer this time.

While we waited for the food to cook, Gill answered the questions that I had.

"How did you make it out of the Cornucopia?"

He answered in his gruff voice. "We left. We couldn't find you, so we just ran. There was so much happening, that no one noticed us."

"What happened afterwards?"

They had returned back to the Cornucopia to see what happened just before the hovercrafts came. They had been overpowered. No one had been spared. They looked through the belongings but had nothing to save. The Careers had taken anything worth something. They had also taken Eal, who was missing from the bodies. They had seen the Careers carrying Eal out.

For days they survived on what they had, and a couple of days ago, Vena succumbed to her injuries.

Andi passed us each a of food.

"Didn't you receive anything from sponsors?"

Gill shook his head and dug in.

After I ate, which didn't take long, seeming that I was sick to the stomach, I spoon-fed Vena. She finished half the bowl, which was more than I had eaten.

We moved camp afterwards. Gill was fit enough to carry Vena.

That night, I slept once again with the transmitter in my hands, holding on to lost hope.

**The story is almost ending, and there will be a massive twist in the next chapter that will be bound to have you biting your nails! :)**

**I'm kidding, but it will be more interesting than this one.**

**Um... review?**

**Have an awesome day! Or night, whatever the time is at your place.**


	25. Chapter 25

_I might want to die, but I don't think I'm ready for it just yet. Too late._

**Chapter Twenty-five**

The dark was a constant watcher. It was everywhere. I breathed it in. It was all I saw. All I heard. An endless shadow that would disappear when the sun came, only to come again at night.

It was what I was sitting in.

I was seated on a tree branch, overlooking the camp. Their forms were still, with the exception of their stomachs rising in time to their breathing. I stayed awake, on watch. I liked my height. It felt like district twelve, except that the dark was more pressing and dangerous. I didn't trust it.

I must have been two hours into my watch when I saw one of the figures move. I drew up a mental map in my head, remembering who had been sleeping in that particular spot. At first I thought that memory had failed me. Vena was awake?

That wasn't right. She was in no fit state to be up and running.

Careful not to alert the others, I lowered myself down onto a lower branch. My movement was so lithe that I didn't even shake a leaf. I jumped nimbly down onto the ground, careful to land on the tree root with my toes.

I stepped over their bodies. When I got to the small figure curled up on his side, I carefully shook his shoulder with my foot. He stirred. A sudden jerking movement told me that he was awake.

"Keep an eye out," I whispered into his ear.

Noah nodded, carefully got up, and took my position in the branches.

I followed Vena's direction into the forest. I took my bow out of my quiver and nocked an arrow. I would unsheathe the sword, but the sound would wake everyone up. I didn't know why, but Vena's sudden awakening made the hairs on the back of my arms stand up.

I shivered, but not from the cold.

She didn't bother making her footsteps quiet. I couldn't see her, but from the ruckus she was making, I knew exactly where she was. This tipped me off. Vena was always careful. It wasn't like her to create an orchestra with her feet.

When the sounds suddenly stopped, I felt sweat break out on my forehead.

I started to feel claustrophobic, despite feeling the breeze on my skin. The darkness was overwhelming, it was starting to press against me. I began to choke on my breathing. I stumbled, and grabbed a branch for support. It may have been dark, but I knew that the world was moving. I wanted to scream for Noah, but the sound was stuck in my throat.

The branch I was holding suddenly shifted, and I realised that it wasn't a branch at all. It shook off my grip, and I fell to the ground, gasping. My hand flew to my throat. My bow and arrow fell to the ground.

I was suddenly on my back, struggling to breathe. The air, why was it running out?

Tears streamed out of my eyes and into the ground. Sudden noises, like something being grated against something, filled the dying air. I realised that the sounds were coming from _me_.

A hand closed around my neck. The rasping stopped, and I could suddenly breathe easy, but lights danced in my vision.

"You're dying," said a familiar voice. "But you'll like it."

"Vena," I asked, and my voice was clear. What was happening? The world was suddenly reverse. I was choking before, but with Vena's hands now around my neck like vices, I could breathe. The lights in my vision didn't continue to seize, though, and I knew that I was dying.

Screams rent the air in two.

"Hear that?" Vena asked. "Your friends are dying. So are you."

I dug my nails into her skin. I couldn't understand. Why? Why, Vena? Why turn against me? But then…

Wasn't this what I deserved?

"If you fight me off, you'll die anyway. You won't be able to kill me in time."

I let my other hand search the ground for something... anything. A rock, a branch. My fingers felt something skinny but sharp. I grasped it tightly, holding on for dear life.

"I won't," I said. "But someone else will."

I drove the fallen arrow into her wrist. She hissed. Her grasp broke, and I rolled away from her. I blinked to get the dancing lights out of my eyes, but immediately, air was suddenly gone.

Grabbing my torch from my waist, I flicked it on and aimed it in her direction. If I could've, I would've gasped.

It wasn't Vena. Where my arrow had pierced her skin, there was nothing but metal. She grimaced as she pulled the arrow out. Despair gripped me as I ran out of oxygen, but that wasn't why. Vena and Gill. They were gone. These were mutts. Vena and Gill were dead. Killed in the Cornucopia. Zelix hadn't spared any thought to torture me.

Tears continued to leak out of my eyes as Vena-mutt neared. She drew the dagger from my waist. I stared her in the eye as she positioned the tip of the knife on the hollow of my throat.

"Please…" I tried to say, but it came out like a rush of wind.

A smile tugged at her lips, the only I smile I had ever seen her do, after her father was killed in the mines. This was wrong. All wrong.

Her smile widened and I knew that this was it. Zelix had triumphed. I was going down. The tiger would finally stop roaring. I hoped it would be quick. Hopefully I'd see my father again. I stared into her eyes and promised to remain to do so until she did the job.

She pulled back the dagger and plunged it in.

I was aware of that second. Feeling the darkness. Seeing the face of my already-dead friend. I was also aware of the second after. And the one after that...

Surprised, I looked down, to see the tip of the dagger digging into my father's silver key. My eyes flickered up again, only to suddenly notice something protruding from Vena-mutt's chest. Her smile turned into a grimace, and, with the wound remaining bloodless, she fell to her knees, and then on her back, so she was angled in a very impossible way.

In her place, was Noah.

The air began to clear and I pressed my lips together in my version of a smile.

"Did I do it right?" he asked, face grim.

"Success," I said, as I took his hand and he pulled me up.

* * *

The damage wasn't much. Luckily I'd had the smarts to wake Noah up before I'd left. Andi had managed to nail Gill-mutt in the back. He'd only injured Antha in the arm, but that was about it. Luck seemed to be on our side.

What scared me was that we didn't know. Cannons didn't sound during Vena's and Gill's deaths. Their pictures weren't shown. Zelix had gone out of his way to try to kill me, and now, I was basically painted red all over like the bulls-eye of a target. He'd failed, and he certainly had other ways to make sure that I died in the arena.

But what scared me the most was that Nyal and the others could be dead, and Zelix could hide it from us. Everyone could be mutts, and I wouldn't know. Nyal could come strolling through the woods and pull me into a hug, only to bury a knife in my back.

I was losing it.

Sobbing and trying to hold myself together but failing entirely, I watched district seven and eight pack up, getting ready to move camp. I had my own pack slung over my shoulder.

Atim looked at me. "Are you sure you don't want to come?" he asked.

I shook my head. It was my fault, and everyone knew it. Why was I doing everything wrong? "No. I'm bad luck," I said.

"If you were bad luck, we'd all be dead by now."

"I'd rather be safe than sorry."

"But you already are sorry," Atim stated. He strode over to where I was sitting and sat with me. "It's not your fault."

"That's not what everyone's thinking."

"It is. We feel sorry for you. You have too much responsibility. Tell me, did you really think that you could save everyone's life in the arena?"

"No, but I never thought it would be my fault-"

"It's not your fault," he repeated. "Everyone except four people will die. I know that I won't make it out, but I'm trying to make sure that those four people are good people. You are a good person."

I shook my head.

"Everyone didn't know who to fight for when they came into this arena," Atim whispered. Then he leant his head and lowered his voice so only I could hear. "But now we are all fighting for you. The whole of Panem."

He stood up and shouldered his bag.

I suddenly remembered what Teah had said. It felt like years ago, in the Capitol. Were so many people counting on me?

Atim walked towards where his district had left. Before he fully disappeared into the shadows, he paused and turned to look at me. "Are you coming?"

I smiled at him, then at Noah, who was waiting among the trees. He'd refused to tag along with seven and eight, when I said I was leaving. So much loyalty.

"No. But I know who to fight for now," I said. For the forbidden children.

He smiled. As he took a step into the woods, I felt my transmitter send a wave of vibrations everywhere. I slipped it out my belt and pressed the big red button, wondering if I'd learn bad news or good news. Atim paused mid-step.

"Hello?" I said, through the speaker.

"Hello, Lanie," said a voice. I felt another shudder spread through my body, but not from the transmitter. It was from the sound of the voice. The voice…

It wasn't Nyal's.

"Long time no see… or hear," Keyann growled. "Same with your boyfriend. Why don't you two lovebirds reunite at the Cornucopia?"

"Nyal?" I gasped.

In the corner of my eye, I saw Noah step forward in alarm.

"He's here. Say hi," I heard him command, not to me.

"Lanie," Nyal breathed into the transmitter.

"Nyal? Are you okay?"

"Lanie, they found us. Don't come-"

"No, no, no…" Keyann's voice suddenly overtook Nyal's. "Don't listen to your boyfriend. Listen to us. Listen to us, and he lives. If you don't, then he dies. Or do you not care anymore?"

That last sentence forced my arm to grip the transmitter tighter. When I spoke, my voice was heavy with anger and hatred, shaking with the sheer emotion of absolute fury. "Don't you dare… hurt… him."

"See you at the Cornucopia, then," Keyann said, laughing. Then sound of it was cut off, and I was left with a transmitter and a mission to do.

"Nyal's been taken," I said to Noah and Atim. Then I stalked into the forest to chase seven and eight.

Leaves flattened under my footsteps and I walked with renewed vigour. Electricity seemed to crackle through my veins. Finally, I had something to do. Something to fight for.

No one hurts my Nyal.

**Did you hear that, Keyann? Nobody hurts Nyal. Nobody!**

**Ahaha, it's almost ending. Five chapters to go, people! The end is coming, and who will die?**

**Next chapter will be in Nyal's view, to explain some things.**

**Keep reading! Don't be afraid to review :)**


	26. Chapter 26

Note: This chapter will be in Nyal's view, and there will be a _lot_ of swearing. :)

_Keyann deserved to go die in a hole filled with flesh-eating cockroaches. Stupid motherf*cker._

**Chapter Twenty-six**

My head… had it been cracked into two pieces? It felt like it. With a groan, I tried to sit up, but I was bound too tightly. My face was pressed against the ground uncomfortably, and I couldn't breathe without smelling the metal floor of the Cornucopia and the hint of blood that had been shed on it a week earlier.

"Don't strain yourself, Lover Boy," a district five girl said with a sneer. Evelia, I think her name was.

Evil-liar, more like it. Bitch hadn't given us a break ever since we'd been captured.

"Go suck on your crap," Tammin snapped at her. There was a sound of a slap that rang through the air, and Zavier started swearing.

"You ought to keep your mouth shut, bitch," Evelia said.

I caught Peyton's eye. Her face was part-exasperated, part-worried. She mouthed a question, and I pulled up the corner of my lips to reassure her. She shuffled over, which was difficult, with the way she was bound, and helped me sit up properly.

"Where do you think you're going, Tiny?" Evelia asked.

Peyton ignored her.

"I said, where do you think you're going?" Evelia repeated, she seized Peyton by the collar and slapped her on the cheek.

"Leave her alone," Eal called out.

For a moment, Evelia looked like she was going to strike Eal in the face too, but she controlled herself.

Eal, even though he was bound up like us, had a higher up rank. He had knowledge, and Keyann wanted it. Those of us, who had no knowledge whatsoever, according to Keyann, were treated like dirt. As far as I knew, Keyann had no brains, but his face looked like dirt so he pretty much made up for it that way. Did I hate him?

'Hate' was probably an understatement.

At that moment, Keyann walked over, a grin across his one-eyed face. Kudos for Noah, for taking the other eye out.

He leant down toward me. "Aren't you happy that you'll see her again?"

The others were confused. After all, he'd dragged me out to say seven words and then beat me up afterwards.

"Didn't Lover Boy tell you?" he asked their puzzled expressions. "I dialled up your leader, she answered, and she's in the palm of my hand. I reckon she'll come tomorrow morning."

"She won't," I bluffed. It was easy for me to conceal my lie under my pain, seeming that I had two black eyes, one swollen and bruises everywhere.

"Oh yes she will. It's unfortunate she wasn't killed before, because when I get to her, she'll be wishing that she did. I'll put on a show that everyone in Panem will love. I can't wait to hear her scream."

Wishing I could do more, I glared at him with my two eyes, then spat in his face.

Instead of bludgeoning me to death like I'd thought he would, he simply composed himself and grinned. "You'll suffer soon enough. Maybe I'll let you watch while I slowly saw each one of her fingers off."

He left the Cornucopia.

Ever since day one, Lanie had been in the centre of my worries. That night, when I had seen the pictures of her group shown up on the screen, I told everyone to pack up and leave. Vena and Gill got to us using the transmitter, and said to find them at the Cornucopia. When we arrived, though, what we found was an ambush. Almost everyone in my group was gone, except for those from district twelve.

Every cannon that had sounded ever since hiked up my heart rate, and it wouldn't slow until I saw that her face wasn't among the dead.

"We need a miracle," Eal muttered.

"Yeah, because there're plenty of those in the arena," Peyton retorted, one eye watering up from the sting of Evelia's slap.

"Is there no hope?" Eal asked.

"We know Lanie. She'll do anything to save anyone's life, even when she knows it's inevitable. I bet you that she was blaming herself when half her group was killed here."

"Can you just… be quiet?" I told them. "If you all know that there's nothing else we can do, then just shut up and stop making everything worse by stating the obvious."

There was silence in the Cornucopia.

Keyann walked inside again, accompanied by two other tributes. The transmitter was in his hand, as well as a silver parachute.

"Evelia," Keyann said, "untie him." He gestured to Eal, who looked scared as Evelia obeyed Keyann's command.

Keyann tossed the parachute and transmitter to Eal. "Fix it."

"How?" Eal asked, stammering.

"The battery ran out when I was trying to connect to the girl. They sent a replacement. Fix it."

Eal rubbed the marks on his wrists where the rope had been rubbing, then picked up the two objects. "I'll need a screwdriver."

Keyann looked at one of the boys beside him. "Well? Get him one."

"I- We might not have-" the boy stuttered.

"Just get him one!" Keyann roared. As the boy exited the Cornucopia in a hurry, the other tribute followed.

The screwdriver was given, and within a couple of seconds, Eal had opened the transmitter. His eyes widened, then he struggled to quickly cover his sudden reaction. He let out a low whistle.

"What?" Keyann asked.

"This could take a while," Eal said.

"How long?"

"I don't know. Just looking at it… it's pretty complicated. The wiring, the inconvenient placing of the battery. At least a couple of hours."

Keyann didn't look like a guy with much patience, especially with Lanie wearing it thin. He sighed gruffly, ran his hand through his hair and left the Cornucopia, stopping at the door to growl, "I'll give you today, and nothing more."

He stepped out, then hesitated. "Ev, step outside and guard. You might distract him and make him blow us to bits."

Evelia reluctantly followed his orders, her eyes watching us beadily as she went to stand at the entrance.

As soon as Keyann disappeared, Eal dropped the transmitter and picked up the battery.

"What?" I asked.

"Rica is a genius."

I sat quietly. Maybe it would take someone smarter than me to understand.

"No wonder why she hasn't spent the sponsor money on things like knives to help us out. She's been saving up for _this_," he said, holding up the battery and staring at it fondly.

"Err…okay," Zavier said awkwardly.

"This battery is highly sensitive. It's also really expensive."

"Is it rare?" Tammin inquired.

"Not really. If you have the materials, it's easy to make, but this stuff is almost illegal. It's so sensitive that if it's set off, it could blow up anyone close by." He looked excited, like he thought that it was awesome to hold something that could blow our heads off with a wrong move.

"And they power transmitters with that?" Peyton asked incredulously.

"Of course not. Like I said, anything could set it off. But for some reason, Rica sent us this, instead of just a normal battery."

"Why?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out." Muttering to himself, he took another closer look at the insides of the transmitter, occasionally prodding something.

"Transmitters aren't usually laid out this complicatedly," he commented. Seeming that we weren't sure if he was still talking to himself, we stayed silent.

Then something seemed to click behind his eyes, and his mouth popped open. His grip on the transmitter suddenly became fragile, like he was holding something like an acid covered object, or a crazy mutt baby that could breathe fire.

"What?" I asked, getting ready to run, though I wasn't sure how far I could run tied up like this.

"It's a bomb," he said, his voice quivering slightly.

Everyone reacted. Zavier, obviously, was the loudest.

"Holy shit! What?" he exclaimed, and in his haste to get away, his fell on his face.

My eyes flickered to our watchful guard, who's hand had moved to her sword upon our sudden outburst.

"Shut up, Zavier," Peyton whispered to him.

"A bomb?" Zavier repeated.

"Not yet, but the layout, the wires, it's set up like a bomb. I realised that when I saw these two wires, extra wires, that transmitters don't really need."

"And?" I asked.

"All it needs is something to power it. And this battery," he held it up yet again, "could power it."

"You could make the transmitter into a bomb?"

"With a few adjustments, yes."

"This bomb… it could kill everyone here." I started to feel my blood travel faster.

"Exactly," he agreed, eyes glowing. He seemed to be buzzing with energy, like contact with the battery sent electricity through him.

"We need to get seven and eight in on this, though," Peyton said.

"Leave that to me," I said. "And we'll need to plan."

"Luckily we've got a while, then."

"Okay guys, listen up and listen closely. I don't want to repeat myself..."

Finally, as I looked at their faces, eyes brighter, lips upturned, movements more energised, something happened. A spark. Of hope. As corny as it sounded, there was hope. Zelix could shove his mutts up his ass for all I cared.

Because even wretched places like the arena couldn't keep away the miracles.

**Everybody start the count-down!**

**Yes, it'll end with a bomb, but bombs are unpredictable... and who will die?**

**Once again... reviews?**

**Have an awesome day! :D**


	27. Chapter 27

Note: Lanie's point of view again!

_Happiness in the arena? Seems more possible than making it out alive._

**Chapter Twenty-seven**

I trudged through the forest. The air, though physically warm, felt cold to me. My eyes studied the trees closely, looking for thick foliage, high branches and strong trunks. Of course, the closer I got to the Cornucopia, the scarcer the trees and the more limited the options, so I stayed right at the fringe of the thickest trees, right where they began to thin.

"Are you sure that you can do this?" Noah asked.

I nodded. I didn't think that I could trust myself to talk without my voice cracking.

My eyes alighted upon a tall pine that ticked all the right spots. Its needles would give perfect cover, rendering any person hidden in it to be completely invisible.

I walked around it, found the lowest branch, and started to climb. Noah and Atim stayed on the ground, but hurried to hide behind the other trees. I had chosen Atim for this because he was strong but wiry, a natural for tree-climbing.

Soon, the ground began to become further and further away, I was climbing so fast and so steadily that it looked like the ground was falling, rather than me climbing.

Could I do this? No. Probably not. But did I have a choice?

No. I didn't. It was me they wanted, and only me. If I sent someone else in, it wouldn't work. And besides, no one seemed to be too happy about volunteering for a death sentence.

We'd planned all afternoon. The plans, the details, they were all set. All we had to do was follow them. Of course, so many things could go wrong, and we'd fail, but nobody cared. After all, we were going to die anyway.

The branches started to thin, so I decided not to risk it any further. The plan did need me, or else it wouldn't work. Noah could probably go higher, seeming that he was smaller and lighter, but I didn't think he would need to. I could see perfectly well, and the needles were perfect for hiding.

The Cornucopia stood out with the space it took. From my distance, it was about the size of my fist. Large coloured dots were moving. One stood permanently at the entrance of the Cornucopia. A guard. So that was where they were being kept.

Eal could give Rica a run for her money. Before he'd converted the transmitter into a bomb, he'd given us a message. Now, all the previous flaws were refined, and we had a game plan. Not that this was a game to us. Whoever called it the Hunger Games was stupid.

The sun was setting, so I got down the tree, jumping to lower branches. I landed on the ground, where Noah was waiting.

"Is this it?" he asked.

"Yeah. This one should do."

In my head, I went through the plan, mentally ticking off things I needed to do. District seven and eight would be on the watch. Once again, mockingjays had a major role. There were codes, whistles. Noah was never to leave his post. This was part of an unspoken promise to Ni. I would keep him away from any danger. No matter what, he was making it out alive.

Anything suspicious would be relayed from Noah, to mockingjays, to Atim hiding in a tree further down, and eventually, to seven and eight. In the early morning, everyone's posts would be taken. I was to walk, weapon-less and without the transmitter, right into the hands of district four, five and six. Sometime through the day, the transmitter would detonate. Then boom, hopefully the transmitter would kill Keyann and anyone else close by. During the chaos, we were to fight our way out. The explosion would be a signal to Noah to send seven and eight in, so they could finish off the Careers once and for all.

After that… I don't know.

The only reason I was doing this was for the others. Not for me. I was already doomed to hell anyway. No matter how clean my hands looked to anyone else, for me, I would always see the blood of the people I killed. They were just like me, fighting for survival, they only caught the short end of the stick, or should I say, they caught the sharp end of my sword.

Tonight was going to be tense.

* * *

Expressionless, I walked steadily, almost robotically, to the Cornucopia. My legs moved automatically, and I tried not to think much about my lack of weapons or I would run in the opposite direction. I needed my head right now.

The trees began to thin and the ground began to harden into concrete. My breathing quickened, and my rhythm broke as I thought about what I was doing. Calm it. Cool it.

Urban dullness took over the forest, and I was no longer walking on the crackle of dead leaves or shaded with trees. I was extremely vulnerable. This was against me. Tigers weren't born to walk into the hands of the enemy.

They were all there. They were expecting me. I could tell that they had already planned what to do with me. What weapons to torture me with. What things they would say.

I felt my heart beating like it was trying to break my ribs. I could hear it over my footsteps, and the sound overtook everything else I heard. The heartbeats sounded so vital, so important, and I realised that in a couple of hours time, it probably wouldn't be beating anymore.

I stopped several hundred feet away from them, unable to stay standing. I went on my knees and bowed my head down, holding my arms out to show that I was weapon-less. Keyann, I could tell just by his size that it was him, sent four of the tributes to me. I was slightly satisfied because of this, knowing that he sent so many to retrieve me because I was a significant threat. When the four tributes reached me, they looked uncertainly at the smile on my lips.

Two of them clutched each arm tightly. The other wrapped a length of rope around my waist and tied it, so if I managed to fight them off, I would still be tied up. On a leash. Like a tame animal.

That was not me.

They pushed me forward so roughly that every ten steps or so, I would trip. I kept my eyes on the concrete, but it was so dull and boring that it wasn't interesting enough for me to keep staring at. I looked up and found the brown eyes that enchanted me so. Immediately, my heart beat again, at the same rate but stronger, not with fear.

I suddenly focused on the bigger picture, and found the fear and worry that coloured his entire face, as well as the mottled blue and green bruise that covered his left eye region, the pink swollen skin of his other eye, the brown of dried blood that covered his chirt, and more importantly, the vivid red that dripped out of a cut on his lip. As my eyes searched his face, he nervously flicked his tongue out to remove the fresh evidence and tried to reassure me with a small, forced smile.

My heart, though beating strongly, felt like it had cracked in two. My teeth gnashed together in silent defiance and fury. What were they doing to him?

My two escorts violently pulled me to a stop. Keyann stood in front of me, almost nose to nose, a grin so large on his face that it looked more distorted, even with the missing eye that was nowhere near healed. He wore an eye patch. I suppressed my satisfaction and pride toward Noah, hidden in the trees somewhere, watching closely.

"How I've waited for this," he said. He always seemed to talk with his lip slightly curled, a permanent snarl.

"Long time, no _see_," I said, emphasizing that last word.

I could see that he understood just by the way he grimaced. His hand involuntarily rose to gingerly touch the half-healed cut that was too big to be fully covered by the patch. He quickly lowered his hand as he saw the triumphant smug smirk tug on my lips.

I paid dearly for two seconds of fun. I saw it coming, but couldn't dodge it. His hand struck my cheek so hard that the sound surprised me, even more so than the stinging pain that had tears spring to my eyes. I felt my bottom lip split open with the force, and something warm drip down my chin.

Keyann reached out to interfere with its journey down my neck. His finger caught the bead of blood, and he stared at it with an almost feverish look. Crazed. Wild. He'd hurt me and made me shed blood. He loved that fact.

The others, tightly bound and on their knees, looked horrified at how I was welcomed. Nyal, especially, his brow was creased and in his eyes, I could see the fire ignited by pain.

Or possibly anger.

Keyann seemed to be addicted to the sight of my blood, as he pulled back an arm and smashed his gigantic fist into my stomach. I doubled over, only held up by the tight grip of the other tributes. My breath exited my mouth with a loud whoosh. I gritted my teeth and looked into his cold eyes, trying hard not to look at my friends.

He did it again, and this time, I couldn't help the cry that escaped my lips, accompanied with the thud of his fist hitting my belly. The tributes let me go, so I toppled onto the hard ground, the roughness grazing my skin.

From the ground, I saw one of Keyann's foot pull back to deliver more pain, but before I could squeeze my eyes shut and pray, someone stepped forward- his feet appeared in my line of almost-blurry vision, and said something.

"That's enough. Do the rest later."

"But I've been waiting for-"

"So have I. Didn't you promise us?"

Keyann opened his mouth to speak, but then shut it. Obviously the other tribute had a spot of power, seeming that Keyann obediently backed away.

The boy's face appeared in my line of vision, and he didn't look like much. He had the kind of face that you weren't likely to remember, especially when it was beside a person such as Keyann.

He had light honey brown hair. His eyes were hazel, but seemed hard, like ice.

"You've caused us so much trouble, district twelve."

I was quiet, knowing that another smart remark would earn me more pain.

"We're planning on giving you so much pain, you'd wish you were being injected by acid."

His hand, almost as cold as his eyes, held my chin up so I was looking directly into him.

"I promise that death won't come easily."

Then he let my head go, and the world rotated as my head lolled limply.

I felt my hands being bound together behind my back, then tied even tighter around my waist, so I couldn't move them. Then I was led inside the Cornucopia, following my friends. The tribute behind me shoved me hard, so I fell onto my face. He roughly kicked me so I was on my back. Then they attacked my feet, binding them together. A small sarcastic voice at the back of my head questioned if they would ever run out of rope.

But they weren't finished with the torture. There was punch after punch, kick after kick. But they were careful to dodge any parts of the body that prove fatal, like my neck, spine and head. Only slaps went to my face, and within a couple of minutes, I felt like I'd been holding the entire arena on my shoulders.

Occasionally, I wouldn't be able to hold in a cry of pain, but by the end of it, every part of my body was screaming in compensation. Agony. Complete agony.

After that, we were alone, my friends and I.

My eyes closed shut, and I drifted away from the world of pain.

* * *

I was floating… floating in acid. I didn't know if my eyes were able to open enough for me to see… were they swollen? Or maybe my mind was so against recalling me back to my world, it wouldn't let me wake. Either way, I was still in pain.

I was lying on something soft. And warm. Forcing my eyes to open, I came face to face with Nyal, who was watching me closely. Everyone else seemed to be sleeping. I tried to move my hand, but pain exploded up my arm, and I winced.

"Are you okay?" he asked, worry colouring his voice. He gently brushed a strand of hair away from my face.

"Yes," I answered automatically, but as I said the word, my bottom lip split open on a cut, and a bead of blood travelled down my chin.

He quickly wiped the blood away and pressed his thumb to the cut. "Don't speak."

"You asked me a question. I answered," I said, murmuring.

He smiled, then his face quickly became passive, like he was afraid that I would smile and cause damage to myself.

"How are you untied?" I asked, suddenly realising.

"Look," he whispered. I was lying on his legs, and he wrapped his arm behind my back to support me as I sat up. Pain erupted everywhere, but I hid it behind a grimace. He pointed toward where the opening of the Cornucopia would be.

There was nothing there.

"What is it?" I asked, confused.

"Look closer," he advised.

I struggled to do so, and I ended up squinting, but I noticed how the outside seemed to ripple, like a hand under gently moving water- refraction. Also, like scenery painted on cloth, and the cloth moved with the breeze. It reminded me of something…

The roof. The roof of the Capitol building. The force-field that kept tributes from jumping off and committing suicide.

"Force-field."

I nodded. "Like the one in the Capitol."

He shook his head. "Eal says it's different. We tested it before when they brought the food in. Zavier threw a bone at it. Ash was all that was left."

"How did they get the force-field?"

"Sponsors, probably. Look at it."

I did, and I noticed that on the ground, there was a small silver device, shiny against the concrete, that radiated the force-field. There was a button, but it could only be pressed outside.

"The button disables the field, then starts it up again."

"Will the plan still work?" If this stupid little gadget ruined our plans…

"If Eal can find out another way to disable it." Then, under his breath, I thought he said something like, "I need another miracle."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"How long have I been asleep?"

"A couple of hours." His face was blank, but then it suddenly looked full of pain. "I missed you."

"Me too," I whispered.

He hugged me, careful not to provoke agony.

"Oh, look, the lovebirds are awake," Eal said, sitting up and yawning.

"The brain of the plan," I said.

"How's it been?"

My eyes found a couple of bruises on his body, and I felt another wave of guilt ravage my stomach.

"Eal, I'm so sorry," I said, the tears starting to stream down my face.

I heard Nyal sigh. His hands proceeded to wipe them away.

"Don't be. Nothing is your fault."

"Vena… and Gill…"

"He's right," Nyal said, "nothing is your fault."

But the tears continued to come. The sobs shook my chest and choked me. I felt Nyal's hand comfortingly stroke my back.

Eal came over. I noticed that he was fiddling with something in his hands.

"What is that?" I asked, my voice raspy.

"A part of the transmitter. Bombs don't need it."

"Eal," Nyal started to say.

"What?"

"Do you think you can disable the force-field?"

"Yes. I've taken a look at it, but I'll need equipment. That'll be hard to get."

"No it wouldn't," I said, my eyes on the object in his hands. "In the morning, you could just call them over, say that you forgot to put that in, when they give you the equipment, just do what you need to."

"And if they don't?"

I looked out of the Cornucopia at the Careers, who were lying down, asleep.

"Let's hope that the sponsors are going to help."

"Yeah. Well… let's worry about it in the morning. I'm going to go back to sleep." And with that, he settled back to his spot. Within seconds, the other soft snores of my friends were joined by one more.

I looked at Nyal. He smiled in the darkness. In his eyes, I could detect a hint of emotion. Fear.

"What are you scared of?"

"Losing you. Obviously."

"Same goes for me," I mumbled. Trying not to wince, I moved my hand up to his face and held his cheek. The swelling of his eye had died down a bit.

"The arena isn't much of a romantic place, isn't it?" I stated conversationally, trying to brighten up the mood.

"Anywhere could be romantic. As long as I'm with you."

I rolled my eyes to show that I wasn't going to settle for corny and mushy love declarations.

"What happens if I die here? You better take care of the twins." A faint smile spread on my lips as I remembered the chaos that little Conner and Cassie could wreak. They could give Zelix a run for his money.

His eyes tightened. "You won't die."

"But say that I will-"

He pressed his finger to my lips, silencing me. "Never."

I shook my head away so I could speak. "Ah, but that's where you're wrong. If I make it out, I'll still die someday-"

"When you do make it out, we'll be together. You haven't forgotten, have you?" His fingers played with the ring around my neck, next to my father's key.

I had nothing else to say, and knew that if I argued further, he'd still win. "Until death do us part."

"Not even then," he said, his tone was hard. If he was going to be stubborn about this…

"Wouldn't be hard to marry a corpse, though? Especially the 'you may now kiss the bride' part," I said, laughing slightly. It was still in too much pain for it to sound like a laugh, also, I sounded too nervous.

"That reminds me," he murmured. His hand slipped from my necklace higher up on my neck, his thumb on my cheek. The journey of his movement sent warmth seeping through my skin. My breathing shortened.

His eyes were brighter than I've ever seen them, and filled with an emotion that I'd never noticed. Was it longing?

Because I was on his lap, all he had to do was lean forward to close the distance between us. And he did, so that only a couple of inches were left for our noses to touch.

My breath came quicker, but still quieter than gasps.

His thumb caressed my face and moved closer to my mouth, it swept my bottom lip and made them part. My heart was beating faster, louder, filling the space with its heartbeats. He leant forward another inch, and I could feel his breathing on my lip.

He hesitated as the space between us closed to only an inch. His eyes took in my expression, and he looked expectant. I realised that he was waiting for _me_. I was new to this. I had never experienced a kiss. The only ones I'd ever seen were when my oldest brother Thomas kissed Sarah, his wife.

But I knew that I loved Nyal enough to make this decision.

My body seemed to know my answer, because I didn't remember leaning forward, the rest of the way, I only realised that I was already there. The space between closed to nothing, and my lips touched his.

I gasped at the new sensation. My hands, which had been on his chest, reached up to the back of his head, pulling him forward. My heart was beating so fast my heartbeat was like a thrum. My breathing was uneven. His hand slipped into my hair to keep me pressed against him, his other hand was at my waist.

Wherever he touched, electricity sparked.

His lips were soft. Warm. Entirely new to me. But I didn't mind. Because he was mine. I was his. We were one entity.

The night was much more bearable with him by my side. Even with the prospect of death. Even with what was awaiting us in the morning.

I even embraced it.

**After all they've been through, I thought that they deserved a kiss. Did you agree? This chapter was a long one- phew! It was long overdue.**

**Oh jeez, three chapters left! I can't believe it! I think this is the first story that I've ever come close to finishing.**

**And don't worry, I _will_ finish it.**

**Errrr... I think this is it, for now. Keep looking for more chapters!**

**Reviews- pretty please? Aha, have a wonderful day, or night, whatever the time is. :)**


	28. Chapter 28

_If you were given the choice, would you give your life for the people you loved? I would. I'd give anything. Just to save them._

**Chapter Twenty-eight**

I was running through the forest, tripping over tree roots and scattering the leaves on the ground. I didn't bother being quiet. It wouldn't help. I was already being followed.

My breathing was the only thing as loud as my heart beat. They were all gone. I was alone. They had taken them. They were gone.

A sob escaped my mouth and I hastily wiped my eyes free from tears so I could see. They were all gone. Taken. Stolen. Gone.

I was the only one left.

Only one left to hunt.

"Please!" I screamed behind me. "Please stop!"

Then to the heavens, I shouted, "Help! Please!"

There was no answer. Of course. They were all against me. Only me.

Only one left to hunt.

The branches of the trees seemed to be bearing down on me, like giant arms waiting for me to fall so they could grab me. I felt my foot catch on something, and with my speed, I flew forward onto my stomach.

Immediately I could feel the joy of my pursuer as he neared his prey.

"No!" I yelled. "No, please-"

I stood up and kept running, my footsteps bearing no distance from the chaser. My begging was marred with my laboured breathing, and the sobs that racked my chest.

I glanced behind me, hoping to not see the shadows. But they were there. Waiting. They wanted to take me. Like they took my friends. Their maniacal laugh filled the arena and the space inside my mind.

I suddenly found myself at the edge of the arena, just a foot from nothingness. It was a bottomless pit, all depth, filled with the darkness of fear. It would be forever night down there, but I didn't really care, I wanted out.

But I didn't want them to take me.

They were coming closer, their shadow-dark hands reaching, yearning for me. I hesitated, standing on tiptoe at the edge. The edge of death. An endless chasm.

The wave of shadow touched me, and pain erupted all over like I was being dumped into a volcano. My voice tore out of my mouth, a wail and a cry of horrible pain that had no end. I made my choice.

Breathing my last, I threw myself into the night, my ear-piercing scream following me all the way down.

But I still couldn't escape the pain.

* * *

I was still aware of my screaming when my eyes opened to the blue sky. But there were other sounds. Laughter. Worry.

I tuned them all out, oblivious to anything but my agony.

"Do you like that?" Keyann asked, his sneer of a mouth contorted into a smile. His voice broke through the barrier of dullness in my mind.

"No!" I screamed. "NO! Please!"

I was on my knees, writhing in agony.

"Then you will tell me what I want to know."

I locked eyes with Nyal who was being restrained by a tribute. He was straining against the tribute's grip, his mouth forming words. Forming my name. His eyes were filled with extreme agony, like it was him who was being tortured.

"What… do you want… to know?" My voice had not yet lost its scream.

"Tell us where it is."

"How many times do we have to tell you? We don't know _what you are talking about_!" Nyal's bellow reached me.

"Was I talking to you?" Keyann asked him. He gave a small signal, and a tribute stepped forward to hold the tip of his sword to Nyal's neck.

"No- DON'T!" I yelled at the tribute.

Keyann grabbed my chin to pull my head to the side. His eyes were filled with a sort of longing. A longing for something he didn't have.

"Tell us where it is, and we won't hurt him."

He must have seen the confusion in my eyes.

"Let me refresh your memory… is it in district thirteen?"

"I-I-" What could I say? If I said the truth, he wouldn't believe me. He'd hurt Nyal. But if I lied, it would all collapse with a simple investigation. Then we'd be hurt even more. "That's where it was… last time I knew."

"Is that where it is now?"

"I don't know. Maybe they moved it. They could have moved it… they can see us… maybe they'll move it…"

My vision blurred. I felt someone touch me gently on the arm. I whimpered.

This morning hadn't started off so well. Our plan to tell Keyann that Eal had forgotten to put the spare part into the transmitter to get tools went out the window, as he said that the transmitter worked perfectly fine. He kept an eye on us after that, and when he caught us with our heads together, he pulled us all out for a torture session. 'To show us who's boss', he'd said.

Eal, upon studying the force-field closer, realised that it had enough strength to withstand a Zelix-style hurricane. So we would be safe inside the Cornucopia once the bomb went off. Hopefully district seven and eight would move in, press the button on the field and let us free.

If it went wrong, we were dead.

"I think it would be best if you don't touch her," Peyton said comfortingly. My friends were all too kind, all too forgiving. They'd welcomed me back with open arms, even after how I'd deserted Vena and Gill at the Cornucopia-

Wait. I was _at_ the Cornucopia.

"You should leave her to rest," Zavier suggested.

"No," Nyal growled, finality in his voice.

"Don't fight," I breathed.

The pain was already starting to recede. Dullness was beginning to take over.

"Stupid sponsors," I heard Tammin mutter. "Giving the money to fund a 'gift' like that."

The 'gift' was a cable. On the end of the cable was a pen-looking thing, with the very tip like a needle, the width of a hair but very sharp and as long as my thumb. The other end was an exposed silver wire that was frayed, the little ends splayed everywhere. The other instrument of torture was the force-field. Place the exposed wire to the field, and the electricity would travel throughout.

Part of the torture was the insertion of the needle. Under the skin. Into the flesh and muscle. Even inside a vein, if they wanted me to die painfully. Then the real torture was the connection, and the electricity that spread and attacked the entire body from the little needle-tip.

Electrocution. Zelix-style.

When I moved, my muscles ached. I put it off with a grimace.

"What's Keyann doing?" I asked.

"I don't know," Nyal said. "Debating."

"Whether to keep us alive?"

His eyebrows furrowed. "Probably."

Keyann was in deep conversation with the other leader, who's name I didn't care to remember. They seemed to come to a conclusion, as Keyann nodded.

My blood ran cold as he drew his sword and stepped nearer.

I felt Nyal automatically shift closer and tighten his embrace. "Get ready to run, Lanie," he said, his voice hard.

"We won't stand a chance," I whispered.

Suddenly, I was wrenched from his arms, torn away. His roar of defiance rang through the air. The ground was no longer under me. When it was, I hit it with a thud, and the air came out of me with a gasp. The concrete made little stinging cuts in my skin.

"Don't hurt her," Nyal bellowed.

The centre of my focus was immediately directed to the glinting sword tip that was an inch from my neck. I prayed that Noah or Atim was seeing this.

"I thought you wanted to kill me slowly," I said.

"Change of plan." A grin spread on his face.

I raised my chin, exposing more of the vulnerable flesh. "Go ahead. Don't make a mess."

"Lanie!" Nyal yelled, his voice cracking.

Just as Keyann raised the sword to deliver the blow, the weirdest expression cut across his face. As he sighed, I realised that it was disappointment. The sword tip lowered, and Keyann pulled the transmitter out of his belt.

It worked. The first step. I was rejoicing inside.

"What?" he growled angrily into the transmitter.

There was a pause as someone answered, and his eyes locked with mine. Then he sheathed the sword and signalled to a tribute.

Hands locked around my arms and pulled me to my feet. Keyann walked away a couple of metres, but his voice was becoming louder with every word.

"Who are _you_ to threaten _me_?" he hissed, eyes bulging. A moment of silence, save for his heavy breathing, as the person replied. "And what can _you_ do about that? Nothing. You can't stop us now from saving your friend. You won't be able to stop us either when we crush you."

I could tell that the conversation was coming to an end. Press the button… please… press the button…

"Enjoy your time while you still can," he said.

My breathing hitched in my throat as he finger moved to press the button…

Click. Then he placed it into his belt.

My head turned to meet Eal's confused gaze. What was happening? Why hadn't it gone off? He should've been blown to smithereens when he pressed that button. So why was he still in one piece?

This wasn't going to plan at all.

I knew that in the trees, seven and eight were waiting, confused as to why there was no explosion, as I was. This was our only hope! What was going to happen now? I would be killed, then there would be nothing left. Had something gone wrong when Eal worked on the transmitter? What if that extra piece actually _was_ needed? Then…

…we were doomed.

No, no, no, no…

I locked eyes with Nyal. I could see the emotion in his eyes. They mirrored mine. Despair. Misery. Confusion. Worry. Pain.

_The button's jammed_, Eal mouthed.

_How do I fix it?_ This needed to end. We'd planned this. And for what?

I met Nyal's eyes again. They seemed to say, "Lanie, don't you dare!"

_How do I fix it?_ I repeated to Eal.

He cast a wary look at Nyal, who shook his head vigorously, nostrils flaring. I fixed Eal with a glare. _Just tell me_.

_The button. If he pressed it again_…

I nodded. I knew what to do now.

Even if it meant losing my life in the process. Wasn't this what I'd been waiting for all along? Saving my friends' lives? Even if it meant me dying, I would do it. For Nyal. And I owed it to them.

After all, the people district twelve always paid back what they owed.

Especially me.

**Two chapters left... who will die? I'm working on it... I'm working on it.**

**Reviews, please? :D**

**Next chapter, it will all go down. Then you'll have to wait until next week for the very last chapter.**

**Can't wait!**


	29. Chapter 29

_This was it. My last tiger act._

**Chapter Twenty-nine**

I took a deep breath. The tribute's hands were still holding my arms, but were much more loose, as they'd been gripping my arms for too long.

Okay, Lanie, let the tiger out…

It was easy. I'd been holding it all in. I'd been forcing the tiger into a cage, where it was busting to get out. I unlocked the cage.

It leapt out.

I swivelled around, pulling my arms from the tribute's grip. I pulled my fist back, and drove it onto his nose. I ended with a round-house kick to the face.

By then, my friends had already reacted.

I drew the fallen tribute's sword. Two tributes charged at me head on, one with a javelin, and the other with a sword. I blocked a blow, and batted the javelin aside. I swept under his guard and stabbed him in the chest. Down he went.

The girl watched me warily, much more cautious about the attack. I smiled just to be intimidating. Tigers were, after all, intimidating. Struck by inspiration, I pulled back my teeth and snarled.

The girl flinched, and I swung my sword. It caught her in the neck. Her head was swept off with the blow. Her blood splattered my face, and despite the thrill from the adrenaline, my stomach threatened to let out what little contents it had. I forced it down.

Facing the battle, I found that my friends had all acquired a weapon of a sort. Zavier was fighting two tributes with a javelin, and I could tell that he didn't like it. I bent down to retrieve the sword of the girl I'd just decapitated and called out his name.

I threw the sword and he caught it, just in time to block a strike and bury it in his opponent's guts.

Peyton was fighting with a dagger, a grimace on her face as she ducked under her opponent's swings and gave a few of her own. Her movements were quick and nimble. Graceful.

Tammin's eyes were narrowed in concentration, she'd acquired a javelin. She fought more with strength, and her enemy was having a hard time trying to defend himself.

Eal was standing still, but in front of him were a couple of bodies that were blackened and burnt. He didn't seem to have a weapon, but every time someone was bold or stupid enough to charge him, a force-field would flash in time for the enemy to crash into it and be burnt to a crisp.

I almost had a heart attack when I realised that Nyal was duelling Keyann. I took a step toward them, before I heard a voice that was not friendly.

"And where do you think you're going?"

He was there. The guy that I didn't bother learning the name of. He had two swords. Immediately, I knew that he was going to a be a hard one to fight. Double-sword fighting was something I'd never encountered, only heard about. But people who were masters of this style were deathly, most fatally lethal.

Bad news for me.

He lunged. It was hard to keep an eye on both weapons, and harder to get in a block while I was blocking. He seemed to have mastered the skill of defending with one arm, and striking with the other.

Sweat broke out on my face. I was only doing enough to escape harm, so how I could get a hit in, I don't know.

If only I had my bow.

Without warning, I felt my arm being slashed open, and blood dripping down the skin. Gasping, I broke away from his deadly swings, clutching my wound. How could I possibly survive this?

There was a sudden crunching sound, and blood poured out of the boy's mouth. With a scowl, he whirled around, desperate to not have the last hit. He buried his sword into the person behind him, before he crumpled to the ground, revealing an axe embedded in his back.

Andi seemed shocked, like she hadn't realised that she'd been injured. She merely looked down at the deep gash in her hip, and back up at me. She'd save me, but she hadn't been able to save herself.

How many more had to die for me?

I caught her just before she fell to pieces. "Andi."

"Go, just go…"

The light in her eyes was fading fast. Her hands were smeared with blood, and slipped as she tried to pull my arms away from her.

"Go…" she whispered. "Go save-"

Her words were cut off with a howl. Antha ran over, tears streaming down her face. "Andi!"

I placed her gently on the ground and ran off to help Nyal to not receive the same fate. I looked back to briefly glimpse Antha taking Andi by the hand.

Nyal was still duelling Keyann. Neither of them could seem to get in a hit. They moved so fast it was like they were in a dance. Only a deadly and very fatal dance. Keyann was in the better form, seeming that he hadn't been caged in the Cornucopia for a couple of days and starved.

I could see that the transmitter was no longer on his belt.

Where?

My eyes looked around quickly- desperately. Let it end soon. I didn't want more to die.

Bingo. It was there, on the ground. Silver on grey. I took a step forward, and it was no longer there. Kicked away by someone fighting to survive. Kicked away from me, someone who was trying to end it all. Kicked away, but where? I growled in frustration.

There it was again. I dove for it before it could disappear. My hand closed around the transmitter. Around me, there was death. Bloodshed. Around me, people fought. I could end this. I could end the pain.

Something was wrapped around the transmitter. Something that made me flinch. I held up the cable, studying the needle-tip. The stupid cable that Keyann tortured me with.

I stood up, still clutching the transmitter and cable. I locked eyes with Nyal. His face twisted into an expression of torture. While he was distracted, it happened. The world took a sickening turn, and Keyann got in a lucky shot.

Nyal fell to the ground in agony.

My heart stopped. I couldn't breathe. Something was tied around my lungs. A scream tore from my lips. "No!"

Keyann turned around.

"It's me. It's me you want, isn't it? Go! Take me." For emphasis, I dropped my sword. What use was it for what I was going to do?

"Lanie…" Nyal groaned. He reached out, as if to try to stop me.

I stepped back. "It's me you want… right?"

Keyann took a couple of steps closer as I walked backwards, away from Nyal. Behind Keyann, Peyton flitted to Nyal, to make sure he didn't go anywhere. I was comforted.

I was ready.

"Take me," I said. I spread out my arms.

Keyann laughed. He glanced at Nyal, who was on the ground. He seemed to think that Nyal wouldn't survive anyway, not with such a wound. While he was contemplating, I looked down at the transmitter and cable in my hand.

The bomb would be detonated not when the button was pressed, but when the button was released. Eal had taken it easy on the advanced language, and explained the basics. When the button was pressed, it would cut a wire. When released, the separated wires would touch, then spark, and ignite the bomb.

While Keyann was preoccupied with his killing priorities, I wrapped the cable around the transmitter tight enough that the right button was pressed down. Then I held on for dear life.

It seemed to take forever for Keyann to turn back to me, his wicked smile huge. It took an eternity for his leg to lift, taking him that one step closer, and for it to touch the ground again. It seemed to take the entirety of the future for him to raise his sword above his head.

So long it took, that I managed to look at Nyal, know that I was happy to go this way, to die protecting him. To die for him. I looked into his eyes and knew that I loved him. And I told him so. My lips opened to form the three words as Keyann neared, and my arm lifted to deliver death.

_I love you_.

The world was quiet as the bomb left my hand. It spun once, twice, through the air. Everything seemed twice as slow as my eyes took in the bomb's journey to Keyann. It hit him soundlessly in the chest, and the cable unravelled in a sluggish speed.

I looked once more into the eyes of the boy I loved, and the world shattered.

I was blown away, no longer on the ground. No longer seeing. All I could see was night, and the darkness was a prison. Flying through the air seemed like nothing, and hitting the ground, I felt nothing.

I knew that I wasn't far from becoming nothing. My eyes stopped seeing. My lungs stopped breathing. My body stopped feeling. My brain stopped thinking. My heart stopped beating…

Finally, the tiger stopped roaring.

And I ceased to exist.

**One more chapter to go. Enough said.**

**Reviews? :D**


	30. Chapter 30

Author Note: This is the last chapter.

_Pain or paradise?... I chose pain._

**Chapter Thirty**

My father was smiling. His smile was warm. True. Not a mockery of the real smile. But the actual smile. He was actually there. Waiting for me.

"Dad?"

I didn't wait for an answer. I leapt forward and threw my arms around him. I laughed into his chest. The sound of my happiness was muffled. It felt good. Felt good to be dead. I didn't feel any weight. Any pressure. I didn't fear the unknown.

I only feared living again.

"You're standing!" I exclaimed, as I pulled away and looked him up and down.

He chuckled. It brought back pleasant memories of my childhood, back when I was innocent. Pure. Oblivious to pain and the struggles of life.

He stroked my cheek tenderly. A tear rolled down his face and tears sprang to my eyes.

"Dad, why are you crying?"

"I'm so proud of you, honey," he crooned. His voice was like the one he used to sing me to sleep.

"I did it all for you… I wasn't scared, because of you." I only realised that I was crying when he wiped the tears away.

"You still have my key?"

I nodded.

"Use it. You will need it."

Confusion swirled in my brain. "But… I'm dead, aren't I?"

"No. Your mind is simply… wandering. Come take a walk with me."

I finally became aware of my surroundings. We were back in district twelve, in the forest.

"Am I a ghost?" I asked, as I marvelled at the reality of the environment. I wondered if I could actually touch the leaves and feel the texture of the flowers.

He laughed. "If you think so."

"This isn't a bad place to stay for all eternity."

"That's what I first thought."

"But… why am I here? Especially when I've killed so many, don't I deserve to be in some sort of fire-pit, burning for the rest of my life- or, well, whatever this is."

The corner of my father's lips curved upwards. "You think that you're dead?"

"Yeah. A-aren't I?"

He took a deep breath. He looked younger, in the days without the twins, and when he was strong enough to lift me on his shoulders so I could reach the fruits from the trees.

"No. Like I said, your mind is wandering. You are very much alive."

"But how can my mind not be where I am?"

"You dream, don't you?"

"So this is just a dream? I'm going to wake up again, and face the world?" And face the accusations of the families of the people I killed, face the dangers of Zelix's wrath, face the world, face the pain and dangers…

"Don't look so worried. I'll always be with you. Always have been."

"So why am I here?"

My dad sighed. He bent over to pick a flower from a bush. Then he fed the stem through my hair. He smiled warmly.

"You've been taking things hard on yourself."

I drew a shaky breath from the non-real world around me. "Don't I deserve it?"

"What you deserve is a peaceful life, and from the moment you were born, I knew that giving you that kind of life would be hard. No one should kill, no one should be killed, but the circumstances are different. You tried your hardest to save people from the fate of those who ended up on your sword, and that earns your pardon. Everyone in that arena was either killed or killed someone else. That in itself, is a sin.

"The person who deserves hell, is not the person who lives through the arena, but the person who placed them there in the first place."

"Zelix?" As soon as his name left my mouth, I felt that the trees seemed to droop slightly, and the flowers start to wilt.

My father's eyes hardened at the sound of his name.

"You said that you were proud of me. You're proud of me for killing people?"

"No. I'm proud of you for the reasons you killed. Not for yourself, but for others."

"I failed though. People still died."

"Everyone dies someday. Through old age, at the hands of others, or sicknesses." His eyes left my face at the last word. My throat tightened.

"So I don't deserve eternal punishment. Why should I live?"

"Your life has a major role in the shaping of the future. Your death would, too, if you had died. You have the power to change. The world, the future, or yourself. You could change anything. Now tell me, now that you know this, how would the world be benefited by your 'deserved' death?"

I was at a loss for words. "I don't want this responsibility."

He chuckled at something that I didn't get. "Neither did Katniss Everdeen or Peeta Mellark. But they succeeded in changing Panem."

"But they still lost so much. Their families, their homes. Are those what I have to sacrifice to win?"

"Yes." His eyes were sad.

"Losing to win." My voice was barely audible.

My father took my hand. "Maybe you should be getting back."

Terror locked me into place. "No."

"Since when were you this selfish?"

"Since I was dumped in the arena."

"I don't believe that you've changed. You are still the kind, caring daughter that I'm proud to have fathered. Children are born innocent, and they deserve nothing as horrid as to be in the arena. Remember, you could change that."

"Damn you. Damn you and your wise words." I smiled though.

"You can't damn the dead." He shook his head, but his grin showed me that I was forgiven. "I'll see you one day. In several decades. Nothing shorter, or you'll have me to answer to, alright, young lady?"

I smiled. "Yes, Dad."

He pulled me into a hug. I savoured the smell of his clothes. His smell reminded me of my childhood, teaching me how to hunt, to track, pick and distinguish between fruits…

"I love you, Dad."

"I love you too. And no matter what, remember that I am always proud of you."

He stepped back from me.

"And don't forget the key, Lanie. You already know what to do. If not, you'll find me in your dreams."

I nodded.

* * *

Pain. It was the first thing that I was aware of. If I could've groaned, I would've. Why did I give up my paradise with my father, just for this?

"Are you sure that she's alright?" someone asked.

"Yes. She's fine, Teah."

Teah! She was watching me.

"She's been asleep for a while. Do comas usually last a couple of months?"

Wait… did I hear that right? _Months?_ I've been asleep that long?

"A couple of months is a short coma. Half a year is normal. The longest I've seen anyone in a coma is two years."

"She's not going to sleep for that long, is she?"

"No."

"Are you sure you did everything right, Rica?"

Rica? She was here, too?

Rica sighed. "Yes. I've practiced on animals more times than you can imagine. She's perfectly fine, safe and sound."

"But-"

"Believe me."

There was a pause. "I wonder how she'll take it."

"So do I."

Take _what_? Had something gone wrong? Had someone died? Eal? Noah? Peyton? Or… Nyal? Who'd made it out of the arena?

Panic and worry judged my next action. I shot up at the same time I opened my eyes. Rica and Teah gasped at my sudden movement. I was in a windowless room. The only illumination came from the lights. The air smelt like disinfectant.

My muscles felt like jelly, but they didn't hurt.

"Lanie… are you alright?"

"Where's Nyal? Where's everyone? Are they okay?" My voice sounded different. Off. I looked down at my hands. They seemed weird. Maybe it was my two-month-long slumber, but my skin-tone seemed different. Pale. I was definitely sick.

"They're fine, Lanie. Maybe you should lie back down-"

"No. Where are they?" I looked at both of their faces, looking closely for any expression that betrayed Teah's words.

"Where are they?" I repeated stiffly.

They exchanged a glance.

In spite of my condition, I tore out of bed, ripping out any IV's that stuck out of my skin. I shoved past Rica, my emotion rendered all thoughts useless. I pelted out of the room, crashing out of the door so it would open.

On either side of the door were Peacekeepers that reacted at the sound. I slammed my knee into the belly of one, and smashed my fist into the nose of the other. I noticed that I was wearing a white night gown. Running down the hall that seemed very much like the room, I realised that I didn't know where they were.

The white linoleum floors seemed too bland to be in the Capitol building. There were doors on either side of the walls, but I didn't open them. As I rounded the corner, almost tripping with my speed, I became conscious of the fact that I was no longer looking for my friends.

I was looking for an escape.

There was a set of glass doors at the end of the corridor. On the other side were more dull white floors, doors and walls. I didn't slow down. I expected the doors to slide open before I got to them, but they didn't, so I ran headlong into them.

The glass didn't break like I thought it would. I slammed my fist into the doors, screaming words. I seemed like I was on the edge of insanity. I even kicked the glass, but all that gave me was a pain that added to the internal agony I was feeling,

My screams rang down the hall, but it did nothing.

Tired and empty, I slid down the glass onto the floors. The glass in front of my face wasn't clear, but blurry. Touching the surface, I found that it was wet.

And so was the front of my gown. I was crying. Crying tears.

Looking into the glass, I found not the corridor, but a reflection. Of a girl crying. Sobbing. A girl that looked insane.

Her face terrified me. It terrified her too. You could see it in her eyes. Her bright green eyes. Just like a tiger's.

Her skin was fair, pale white, much like the skin of the people who lived in the Capitol. Her hair was dark, like the people of the Seam in district twelve.

Horror caught up with me along with the realisation. I blinked when she did, breathed when she did. Tears fell down my cheeks like hers did. When I lifted my hand to wipe them away, she did that too.

My sobs quickly turned into an ear-piercing scream that reverberated through the air. The air that I couldn't seem to breathe in. Because now I saw. I truly saw who that person was in the reflection. Not only was it someone else, but of someone else I knew.

I stared into the reflection of Lanie Quinn.

**The End.**

Soon there I will add a next chapter, but it will be about tributes, and characters of the book. Character profiles, are they called? And there will also be information on how to find the sequel of this story, so keep looking for updates!

Thank you all so much! :D


	31. Author Note

**Author Note:**

Hey everyone!

Sorry, character profiles are going to come later than I promised. I'm currently working on my Hunger Games Fanfic sequel. GASP! Did you just read that right? Yup, there's a sequel!

I know that some of you are somewhat confused with my ending, and yes, I'm sorry, but I thought I'd end it that way so it would be easier to start the sequel. Happy endings are hard to continue, for me. Also, I hoped that you would all be tempted and looking forward to the sequel if I ended with a cliffhanger. And, all answers, if you were confused with the way I ended this story, will be answered in the sequel.

Sequel... I've said that a lot already. Sequel, sequel, sequel...

I wanted to thank everyone for reading my fanfic, I'm so grateful. I wouldn't have finished it without all the reviews, and the views. (Hey, that rhymes!)

I can't begin to start saying how much I'm grateful for al the support, and help. So, I decided to repay you all with another story! And, (I'm going to have to say the word again) here are the steps to find the sequel:

1. Look up 'Hunger Games: Vengeance'. The picture should be of the mockingjay badge and the username should be imaginationsdaydreamsandword s.

2. Click it. Read it. And review!

**From someone who Imagines, Daydreams and Writes Words.**


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